Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

05/22/2026

More than two‑thirds of the world’s 400+ nuclear reactors are now over 30 years old—making long‑term operation (LTO) a critical pathway for delivering reliable, carbon‑free electricity at scale.

In a recent Energy Central article, Garry Young highlights insights from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) TECDOC‐2117 on good practices and lessons learned from global LTO efforts and the role of EPRI research in advancing these approaches.

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) science‑based frameworks, including Materials Degradation Matrices and Issue Management Tables, are referenced throughout the report for enabling:

• Predictive understanding of materials degradation
• Integrated, risk‑informed aging management programs
• Strategic modernization and long‑term asset planning

These approaches are helping utilities extend plant lifetimes safely and cost‑effectively, often to 60, 80 years and beyond, while maintaining strong safety and performance.

As the industry looks ahead, continued collaboration and applied research will be essential to address late‑life material challenges, workforce continuity, and evolving system needs.

🔗 Read more: https://www.energycentral.com/nuclear/post/good-practices-and-lessons-learned-from-the-long-term-ope...

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05/22/2026

This week at SEPA's Energy Evolution Summit, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Vice President of Global Partnerships and Outreach Morgan Scott joined industry leaders to share insights from global research and collaboration efforts shaping the future of the power sector. Her Innovation Spotlight presentation highlighted key learnings from the Iberian Peninsula blackout, the Ontario regional assessment, and international knowledge exchanges on 765kV transmission systems.

A key takeaway from the discussion: while policy environments, geographies, and grid architectures may differ around the world, the underlying science of the power system remains universal. Advancements in physics, chemistry, engineering, and materials science have the potential to drive meaningful impact across regions and borders, making global collaboration essential to building a more resilient and reliable energy future.

At EPRI, innovation is measured not only by ideas, but by the real-world impact they create. We’re proud to collaborate with partners across the industry who are helping turn innovation into action and shape the future of energy together.

05/22/2026

Applications are closing soon for the 𝗔𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 - a collaborative effort advancing AI innovation across the energy sector.

Led by Incubatenergy Labs® (IEL) and the Open Power AI ( ) Consortium, the initiative brings together technology providers and energy companies to rapidly demonstrate and derisk AI-driven solutions. With 50+ prioritized use cases from OPAI, participants can focus on high-value opportunities that support real-world deployment.

Organizations developing AI solutions for the power industry are encouraged to apply by 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟯𝟭.

Learn more and apply: https://epri.brightidea.com/AIforPower2026

05/21/2026

On June 10, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) is participating in the 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗖𝗘𝗖/𝗘𝗣𝗥𝗜 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁: 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 in Sacramento.

In collaboration with the California Energy Commission (CEC) and state leaders, the event will explore strategies to advance building electrification and highlight progress toward California’s building decarbonization goals. The event will convene state leaders from the CEC, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) California Air Resources Board (CARB), and across the energy sector to explore pathways for advancing electrification while maintaining reliability and affordability.

Throughout the day, EPRI expertise will support conversations focused on:

• Opening remarks from Morgan Scott, EPRI Vice President of Global Partnerships & Outreach
• Insights from Agatha Kazdan, EPRI Senior Principal Technical Leader, on R&D innovations enabling an all-electric, climate-ready future
• Moderation of the utility-focused session by Jean‑Francois Roy, EPRI Strategic Account Executive, on preparing the grid for increasing electrification

Conversations will focus on scaling solutions that can support California’s goals around transitioning to cleaner, more efficient buildings.

👉 Learn more:

Register for the Event

05/21/2026

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)latest white paper, 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, examines how ride-through requirements are defined at the grid level and how outcomes are ultimately shaped by facility architectures and equipment behavior. It highlights key gaps in interpretation, including voltage measurement definitions, phase-based compliance differences, and misalignment between system-level intent and equipment-level standards.

The paper also explores challenges in testing, certification, and verification, along with emerging risks in facilities with tightly coupled onsite generation. Practical considerations are outlined for uninterruptible power supplysystems, protection schemes, and cooling infrastructure.

➡️ EPRI’s initiative is helping advance alignment, improve compliance pathways, and support grid reliability at scale.

Read the full white paper: https://www.epri.com/research/products/000000003002036212

Learn more about EPRI's : https://dcflex.epri.com/

05/20/2026

In this episode of the EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman speaks with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)'s Director of Agentic AI and Micro Data Centers, Ben Sooter, about the growing role of distributed inference, also known as micro data centers, in the evolving AI landscape. While large, centralized data centers dominate current discussions, Sooter explains why the next wave of compute demand will shift closer to end users to support faster, latency-sensitive applications.

The conversation highlights how this distributed approach could reshape grid planning, including opportunities to leverage available capacity at distribution substations and the need to better understand emerging load profiles. Sooter also discusses EPRI’s collaborative pilot efforts with NVIDIA, Prologis, and InfraPartners to explore siting, deployment, and scalability. As AI adoption accelerates, this episode examines how utilities can prepare for and help enable the next phase of digital infrastructure.

Watch the full video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWpwU6mevG0, or tune in wherever you get your podcasts: https://epricurrent.podbean.com/e/72-micro-data-centers-and-the-evolution-of-ai-infrastructure/

In this episode of the EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman speaks with EPRI’s Director of Agentic AI and Micro Data Centers, Ben Sooter, about the growing role of distributed inference, also known as micro data centers, in the evolving AI landscape. While large, centralized data centers dominate cu...

05/20/2026

EPRI has been recognized as the 2026 Globe Power Player of the Year by the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) 🏅

The award recognizes demonstrated progress and real-world impact in advancing energy systems through EPRI’s Climate Resilience and Adaptation Initiative ( ), an industry-aligned framework that supports physical climate risk assessment, resilience planning, and adaptation across the power sector. Since 2022, Climate READi has brought together more than 40 utilities and 150 organizations to help integrate climate science into system planning and investment decision-making.

Thank you to the teams and collaborators who contributed to this work, and congratulations to all 2026 award recipients and finalists.

Photo: The award was presented at SEPA’s Energy Evolution Summit in Washington, DC. EPRI Vice President of Global Partnerships and Outreach Morgan Scott accepted the award on behalf of the Climate READi Leadership Team. Principal Team Lead, Climate Resilience Analysis and Climate READi lead Laura Fischer also attended the event.

05/20/2026

𝗥𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗺𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱

Ransomware remains one of the most immediate and disruptive cyber threats facing critical infrastructure—especially as geopolitical tensions and global instability increase.

Preparing for these risks requires more than tools. It requires real‑world testing, operational readiness, and global knowledge sharing.

EPRI is supporting international ransomware preparedness through:

• 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗖 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗔𝗘, focused on improving readiness, response, and recovery
• Technology transfer efforts that help translate research into operational practice
• Capturing and sharing lessons learned through internal success stories and global collaboration

This work is especially important for utilities operating in regions facing heightened security challenges, where cyber resilience and physical security risks are increasingly intertwined.

Ransomware preparation is no longer optional. It is a core part of operating reliable, resilient power systems in today’s environment.

05/19/2026

Last week, NOV and EPRI convened a Quantum Sensor Workshop in Houston to focus operators, researchers, and leading technology developers on one question: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?

The session focused on real-world needs, starting with an operator perspective from NOV, followed by EPRI insights on how quantum sensors differ from conventional approaches and where they may outperform others in industry use cases.

Participants heard directly from technology leaders across the ecosystem, including:

• Steven Panova and Luke Breon (EPRI)
• Chuck Wright (NOV)
• Erika Janitz (University of Calgary)
• David Roy-Guay (SBQuantum)
• Remi Geiger (KWAN-TEK)
• William Clark (Infleqtion)
• Alex Maierean (Phantom Photonics)
• Barry Ives (Lockheed Martin), Adam Gryfe (CSMC), and Jyotsna Sharma(DOE ARPA-E) in a panel discussion.

Quantum sensing is moving out of the lab, but success will depend on aligning capability with real operational problems to leverage the potential of these technologies. The session closed with a focused ideation on priority use cases and next steps, informing an upcoming EPRI landscape and opportunity assessment.

Thanks to NOV and all participants for a practical, solutions-focused discussion that will actively inform research in this area. Together…We’re Shaping the Future of Energy.

05/19/2026

EPRI, in collaboration with Duke Energy, hosted the inaugural 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘆 on April 25, 2026, at the UNC Charlotte EPIC Building, centered on this year’s theme: “Fly Right.”

As drone adoption accelerates, safe and responsible operation is essential—particularly near critical energy infrastructure like substations and power lines. The event brought together students, drone enthusiasts, public safety officials, and industry professionals to promote operator awareness and reinforce best practices for protecting the power grid.

Attendees heard from experts representing the Federal Aviation Administration, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, who shared insights on drone regulations, airspace awareness, and public safety considerations. EPRI and Duke Energy teams highlighted the potential risks drones pose to utility infrastructure and the importance of operating safely around the grid.

The program also featured a live flight demonstration from Duke Energy, showcasing pre- and post-flight inspection procedures and safe operational practices.

Drone Safety Day 2026 marked a strong first year, with broad engagement from academia, industry, and the local community—underscoring a shared commitment to safe drone use and infrastructure protection.

05/18/2026

EPRI’s latest 2026 Quick Insight, 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗱, explores how distribution-connected data centers (DxDCs) are emerging as a practical pathway to meet rising compute needs, particularly for facilities in the 1–30 MW range.

The report examines key drivers shaping this shift, including time-to-power, grid utilization, and the growing importance of latency, data sovereignty, and edge applications.

Developed as part of EPRI’s initiative, this work reflects ongoing collaboration with industry stakeholders to better understand how data centers can support grid reliability while improving interconnection efficiency. It also points to opportunities to better leverage existing distribution infrastructure while navigating evolving planning and regulatory considerations.

As these trends continue, the insight highlights how operational flexibility and evolving frameworks are shaping utilities' and developers' approaches to large-load integration at the distribution level.

🔗 Read the full insight:https://www.epri.com/research/products/000000003002036257

🔗 Learn more about : https://dcflex.epri.com/