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NuScale Power Achieves Standard Design Approval from NRC for 77 MW SMR

LCG, May 30, 2025--NuScale Power Corporation (NuScale), a leading provider of advanced small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear technology, yesterday announced that it has received design approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its uprated 77 MW power modules. NuScale states that it remains the only SMR technology company with design approval from the NRC, and the company remains on track for deployment by 2030, with 50- and 77-MW SMR options.

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EIA Presents Analysis of California's Solar and Wind Power Curtailment Challenges

LCG, May 29, 2025--The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released an analysis yesterday showing that the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the grid operator for most of the state, is increasing its curtailment of the rapidly growing solar- and wind-powered generation facilities in order to balance electricity supply and demand, which is necessary to maintain a stable electric system.

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Industry News

California PUC Issues Proposed Decision on Energy Storage Systems

LCG, September 5, 2013--California Public Utility Commissioner Carla Peterman issued a proposed decision earlier this week that establishes the policies and mechanisms for procurement of electric energy storage pursuant to Assembly Bill 2514, which was signed by then California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger nearly three years ago.

The proposed decision establishes a target of 1,325 MW of energy storage to be procured by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison Company (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) by 2020 and sets a schedule for solicitation of energy storage. The decision directs these utilities to file separate applications containing a proposal for their first energy storage solicitation by January 1, 2014.

In addition to placing requirements on California's investor owned utilities (IOUs), the decision further directs community choice aggregators to procure energy storage equal to one percent of their annual peak load by 2020 and that electric service providers procure energy storage equal to one percent of their annual peak load by 2016.

The objectives for energy storage development were stated in Assembly Bill 2514 as follows, "Energy storage has the potential to transform how the California electric system is conceived, designed, and operated. In so doing, energy storage has the potential to offer services needed as California seeks to maximize the value of its generation and transmission investments: optimizing the grid to avoid or defer investments in new fossil-power plants, integrating renewable power, and minimizing greenhouse emissions."

The outlook for pumped storage projects is somewhat constrained by the proposed decision. Findings of fact included: (i) that the majority of pumped storage projects are 500 MW or over, (ii) that a single pumped storage project could account for the entire procurement target within a utility territory, and (iii) the sheer size of a large-scale pumped storage project would dwarf other smaller, emerging technologies and could inhibit the fulfillment of market transformation goals.

With respect to conclusions of law, the decision states that it is reasonable to exclude pumped storage projects 50 MW and over from participating in the Energy Storage Procurement Framework and Design Program.
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