NuScale Power on Jan. 12 submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to gain approval of its small modular reactor, the first such submission of the design to the agency. Set to be built at the U.S. Energy Dept.’s Idaho National Laboratory, the small unit can produce 50 MW and is scheduled to be operational by 2026. Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems will own it, and Energy Northwest will operate it. NuScale was the only winner of the second round of DOE’s cost-sharing program for small modular reactor technology construction. Scott Brunell, an NRC spokesman, says it will take about two months to determine if the application is complete, with approval targeted in 40 months, depending on NuSource’s ability to respond to agency questions.