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Oklo and Siemens Energy Sign Agreement to Accelerate Power Conversion System for New SMR in Idaho

LCG, November 19, 2025--Oklo Inc. and Siemens Energy announced today that the parties have signed a binding contract for the design and delivery of the power conversion system for Oklo’s Aurora-INL (Idaho National Laboratory) nuclear small modular reactor (SMR). The agreement authorizes Siemens Energy to begin engineering and design work to expedite procurement of long-lead components and to initiate the manufacturing process for the power conversion system. Oklo’s expertise in advanced fission technology will be combined with Siemens Energy’s extensive industry experience with steam turbine and generator systems, with the ultimate goal of generating carbon-free, reliable electricity.

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NERC's New Winter Reliability Assessment Raises Concerns for Elevated Risk of Insufficient Supplies to Meet Demand in Extreme Operating Conditions

LCG, November 19, 2025--NERC yesterday released its 2025–2026 Winter Reliability Assessment (WRA), which concludes "much of North America is again at an elevated risk of having insufficient energy supplies to meet demand in extreme operating conditions." The WRA does state that resources are adequate for normal winter peak demand, but extended, wide-area cold snaps will be challenging.

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Industry News

DOE to Fund Clean Coal Projects with $316 Million

LCG, January 16, 2003-The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced yesterday that new funding will go to so-called "clean coal" projects.

In keeping with his administration's "Clear Skies" environmental policy, President George W. Bush has set aside 10 years and $2 billion to develop coal technology in order to make coal a viable source of clean energy.

Over fifty percent of U.S. power comes from coal-fired plants, and the U.S. has 23 percent of the world's recoverable coal reserves. However, coal is one of the dirtiest sources of electricity available, both in terms of emissions and storage.

Some people have proposed coal gasification as a viable direction for coal, a process by which solid coal is converted via steam-related chemical reactions into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. According to the DOE, impurities can be converted into useful materials to be used as fertilizers, industrial chemicals, and in construction, while the resulting fuel can be burned relatively cleanly in an efficient, combined-cycle process.

The DOE asserts on its website, www.fe.doe.gov, that the process of coal gasification yields recoverable carbon dioxide, unlike natural gas combustion. Increasing carbon dioxide levels are commonly pointed to as likely components of global warming, and simply the ability to capture carbon dioxide instead of emitting it into the atmosphere would be an advancement.

In addition, the production of hydrogen, if recoverable, implies that coal gasification can be a source of the cleanest fuel possible. Hydrogen and oxygen, when combined, yield energy and water without any harmful side products.

The DOE does not mention any harmful side reactions in the process of coal gasification or whether or not any major byproducts will become waste.

Opponents of the Bush Administration's "Clear Skies" environmental plan have much to say regarding its approach, from asserting that it moves too slowly to counter serious global environmental problems, to criticizing a lack of funding for wind and solar projects.

The DOE will send about $316 million to eight clean coal projects. Various companies nationwide are working on cleaner and more efficient coal-burning techniques, and the eight companies benefiting are involved with several aspects of clean coal research.

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