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Oklo Announces DOE Approval for Nuclear Safety Design Agreement of Aurora Powerhouse at Idaho National Lab

LCG, March 17, 2026--Oklo Inc. (Oklo) today announced that it has signed a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) to support the design, construction, and operation of Oklo’s first reactor, the Aurora powerhouse at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) under DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program (RPP). The DOE Idaho Operations Office subsequently approved the Nuclear Safety Design Agreement (NSDA) for the fast-fission power plant, and Oklo immediately requested DOE commence review of its Preliminary Documented Safety Analysis (PDSA).

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SPP's Western Expansion Set for Implementation on April 1

LCG, March 13, 2026--The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) announced yesterday that leaders from the participating organizations voted unanimously to proceed as planned with expanding its regional transmission organization (RTO) services into the Western Interconnection. SPP sees the decision to proceed as planned as a strong signal of confidence as SPP and its partner utilities prepare for this key milestone, which will occur overnight between March 31 and April 1.

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Industry News

California Congressman Puts Heat on Cal-ISO

LCG, Nov. 19, 2001--U.S. Rep. Doug Ose, a California Republican, has demanded that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission act on what he says is preferential treatment of the California Department of Water Resources by the California Independent System Operator.

In a letter last Thursday to FERC, which was released Friday, Ose said dealings between the two state agencies contravene the required independence of the ISO. Reliant Energy Inc. and Mirant Corp. filed a complaint with FERC last month alleging that information-sharing between the two groups violates the ISO's tariff.

Ose backed up his letter with a copy of a confidential memo from Eric Woychik, described as having inside knowledge of the water agency, to ISO board member Mike Florio, who is also a lawyer for an anti-utility gadfly group, The Utility Return Network.

Ose did not tell how he came by the memo, but said it revealed "egregious examples of interference by CDWR in the electricity market."

How confidential was the memo? In it, Woychik wrote "If the press, Legislature, or FERC get wind of this, I think we are toast!!!"

Woychik's memo said that CDWR scheduling practices resulted in "very large additional costs for purchases," and compromised reliability. He cited as an example an instance when the water agency required the ISO to accept bilateral contracts for $400 per megawatt-hour when cheaper coal-fired generation from a Nevada plant was available for $60.

In his letter to FERC, Ose said the memo "clearly illustrates the perils of a lack of independence" at the ISO.

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