In order to accomplish specific compensation objectives a static synchronous series compensator (SSSC) may be controlled by several ways. The most common control modes of the SSSC are: (1) constant voltage mode, (2) constant impedance emulation mode, and (3) constant power control mode. Moreover, to improve the dynamic performance of the system, a SSSC may be equipped with supplementary controllers, such as damping controls. Therefore, this paper investigates the impacts of different SSSC control modes on small-signal and transient stability of a power system. The performance of different input signals to the power oscillation damping (POD) controller is also assessed. The stability analysis and the design of the SSSC controllers are based on modal analysis, non-linear simulations, pole placement technique, and time and frequency response techniques. The results obtained allow to conclude that the usage of the SSSC in the constant impedance emulation mode is the most beneficial strategy to improve both the small-signal and transient stability. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.77119