News
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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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
Court of Appeals Vacates EPA's CSAPR
LCG, August 23, 2012--The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, in a 2-1 decision, overturned on Tuesday the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), which targets emission reductions. The court's action provides some level of regulatory relief with respect to sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions for owners of coal-fired power plants located in 28 states.
CSAPR would have replaced a rule promulgated by the EPA in 2005, the Clean Air Interstate Rule ("CAIR"). The court opinion stated that the CSAPR exceeded the EPA's statutory authority which only requires upwind states to reduce "significant contributions" to a downwind state's pollution levels. In addition, the court found that the rule did not allow the states an opportunity to establish their own State Implementation Plans (SIPs) to reduce emissions, as provided for in the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Attorneys general from mostly Southern and Midwestern states brought the legal action against CSAPR, and interveners include a number of utilities that own coal-fired power plants.
CSAPR "had potentially far-reaching reliability impacts for a grid in which electric use is growing far more rapidly than new generation resources are being built to serve that need," said the chief executive of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which oversees power delivery for most of Texas.
The EPA is reviewing the decision to determine whether or not it will appeal the ruling. CAIR will remain in place while the EPA is directed to promulgate a new rule complying with the Court's decision and the Clean Air Act.
Owners of coal-fired plants will need to continue to address regulatory pressures from the EPA's Mercury Air Toxics Standard (MATS), together with evolving water and coal combustion residue (CCR) regulations. Setting aside regulatory challenges, low natural gas prices provide a competitive challenge for coal plants as well.
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UPLAN-NPM
The Locational Marginal Price Model (LMP) Network Power Model
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UPLAN-ACE
Day Ahead and Real Time Market Simulation
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UPLAN-G
The Gas Procurement and Competitive Analysis System
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PLATO
Database of Plants, Loads, Assets, Transmission...
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