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Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios.
FERC Chairman Willie Phillips said recent tech industry deals to invest in nuclear power signaled "great hope and optimism" for small modular reactors to supply growing demand.
Why it matters: FERC has been confronting grid reliability challenges with a rise in energy demand, the loss of coal and nuclear plants, and extreme weather.
- Rising interest in nuclear as a way to shore up energy shortfalls dominated the conversation during FERC's joint meeting with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in January.
Threat level: Phillips told reporters after Thursday's open meeting that the commission has been addressing supply chain risks, rolling out reliability standards for wind and solar resources, and publishing action reports on extreme weather events.
- But recent hurricanes that left more than 3 million customers without power shows a need for FERC to be "ever vigilant" in enforcing reliability standards, he said.
What they're saying: "I don't talk about climate change a lot from this podium," Phillips said. "But I can tell you this: From what we've seen in the activity in devastating hurricanes that we've seen over the past few weeks ... we have to take seriously our obligations and responsibility to ensure reliability and resilience of our power system."
What we're watching: FERC is likely to address the need for additional grid reliability following a technical conference yesterday to discuss current risks to the system.
