EPRI UNPLUGGED Podcast Series

As governments and healthcare workers around the globe attack the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, the world slowed to a near standstill.  EPRI Unplugged explores the reduction in electricity peak demand and use in the first few weeks of the pandemic, and the industry’s efforts to protect its critical workforce.

The most important innovation in the electric power sector was born far outside the electric power sector, according to EPRI President Arshad Mansoor. In this episode of EPRI Unplugged, we poke at the surface of the issues facing the industry, and how R&D remains a critical tool to unlocking the energy future.

Is your local utility using blockchain? Would you know if it was? In this episode, we talk to two early adopters, ConEdison and Pacific Gas & Electric, about where they see opportunities for blockchain and how they are collaborating with EPRI’s Utility Blockchain Interest Group to learn from one another. For a primer on blockchain, give a listen to our earlier episode Preparing for Blockchain in the Utility Industry.

In this special episode of EPRI Unplugged, you will hear four different perspectives from participants of the Electrification Europe Summit, recorded live from Palais Brongniart, in Paris, France. Covering issues of electrification of cities, buildings, and industrial processes, this episode serves as an introduction to some of the solutions being explored to decarbonize the global economy.

Jessica Fox, our resident environmental scientist and all-around world saver, is back on the podcast to discuss her award-winning work to protect the Ohio River Basin. This collaborative water quality trading program takes a market-based approach to limit the negative impacts of run-off from phosphorus and nitrogen in the environment. Jessica explains how EPRI’s program helps remove these pollutants from a small stream in Indiana to the Gulf of Mexico, enabling anyone to support local and global sustainability programs with one online transaction. Listen to learn more, and then buy yourself—or your dog—a water quality credit at wqt.epri.com.

It’s fair to say we encounter artificial intelligence every day. Utilities are also discovering how to harness the power of AI. EPRI recently launched an initiative, AI.EPRI, to create a central hub for AI research in the utility space. This podcast explores how AI is being used today, the value of data, and what lies ahead.

Range anxiety, or the fear of running out of power before you get to your destination, sits at the top of the list of fears keeping people from buying a new electric vehicle. One solution to this problem is the deployment of public charging infrastructure. But how we make this infrastructure “just work” is another major question, and the core of a recent EPRI white paper. This collaborative white paper, and a few more EV topics, will be discussed in this EPRI Unplugged episode.

What do bees and electric utilities have in common? Much more than you think. In this episode, Jessica Fox, EPRI’s resident bee lover, takes us through the ins and outs of the electric power sector’s role in supporting pollinator ecosystems and populations.  

Energy storage has made significant progress in the last two decades. In this episode we discuss where energy storage has been, where it might go and what EPRI is doing to help us get there. Haresh Kamath, senior program manager with EPRI’s Power Delivery and Utilization sector, talks with EPRI Unplugged about the ubiquitous nature of the battery.

In the nearly three years of EPRI’s podcast we’ve covered a wide variety of topics and technologies, ranging from electric vehicles to advanced fossil technologies to cyber security. One area we haven’t covered is technologies on the horizon that could have a meaningful impact on the energy industry. In this episode we are exploring the potential for hyperloops… high speed transportation in a tube. Sound futuristic? Yes, but advances in technology could bring hyperloops to a city near you in the not-too-distant future.

Solar forecasting, and the application of advanced solar forecasting to grid operations, are crucial research areas in enabling higher levels of renewable resources and making sure system operators can keep the lights on. EPRI recently received a $1.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for research related to integration of advanced solar forecasting into system operations. EPRI researchers shine light on the future of advanced solar forecasting and its impact on grid operations.

In this episode we dive into a topic you’ve probably at least heard about – blockchain. What is it? How does it work? And what does it mean for the utility industry? Some of our leading experts at EPRI answer these questions and more.

As the number of wind and solar farms continue to increase, asset owners are innovating for efficiency, cost, and reliability. This innovation includes the area of operations and maintenance. Renewable asset owners are considering such things as how to best apply insights from large amounts of data, opportunities for efficiency monitoring and improvement, and when or if to use a third party for O&M services. EPRI wind and solar researchers shine a light on these issues and more in our latest podcast.

Indoor agriculture facilities have the potential to deliver fresh produce to local and regional communities, reducing transportation costs and emissions, and reducing water usage. They also require electricity. Frank Sharp, EPRI Senior Technical Leader for Energy Utilization, joins the podcast to talk about the technology and what it means for the utility industry and efficient electrification.

Electricity shows incredible promise in powering the technologies of today and tomorrow. How could it transform utilities and other industries where power is a key input? What are the opportunities and implications across the United States? We tackle these issues and more in looking at the future of efficient electrification, and the upcoming International Electrification Conference and Exhibition August 20-23 in Long Beach, CA.

Protecting Critical Assets: Cyber security is a critical priority for electric utilities. How can utilities protect themselves against attack by terrorists and hackers? What can be done to strengthen grid resilience against threats to equipment failures? EPRI’s cyber security experts discuss these threats and how EPRI’s cyber security technologies can protect the utility industry.

High-altitude electromagnetic pulse describes a nuclear detonation over land that could potentially cause damage to large transformers and substations. However, there are differing opinions on just how catastrophic an event such as this might be. As a result, EPRI launched a three-year research initiative in 2016 to investigate these events, including threat assessment, mitigation, and recovery. EPRI Vice President of Transmission and Distribution, Rob Manning, sits down to discuss findings so far and research that is ongoing.

Human observers within the narrow band of total eclipse on August 21, 2017 were treated to a dramatic experience of light and dark. In contrast to the human experience, solar generators responded to the gradual changes in light intensity both in the band of “totality” and across the much broader region of partial eclipse, as recorded by researchers and monitors across North America. Hear from EPRI researchers about the data gathered during the eclipse and how this research can inform future operations.

A consideration for the future of augmented reality is the impact of interoperability. In this conversation, EPRI technical executive John Simmins and augmented reality consultant and advisor Christine Perey help us decode interoperability and the importance of industry standards to the future of augmented reality in the utility industry.

Is coal dead? Is there such a thing as clean coal? What exactly is CCS? We tackle these questions and more in a thought-provoking discussion on the role of fossil fuels globally and the advanced technologies needed to meet energy and environmental goals. Guests: Jeff Phillips, Abhoyjit Bhown.

Integrated resource planners play a unique role in the utility industry as the people tasked with anticipating what the future may hold. EPRI’s vice president of Distribution and Energy Utilization sits down to talk about the impact of renewable generation, distributed energy resources, and the need for common standards across the industry.

The nuclear industry is taking the lead to reach new heights in innovation. Hear from EPRI experts and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Development & Deployment in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy as they discuss emerging technologies, how DOE and EPRI are supporting R&D, and when advanced nuclear technologies could be deployed in the United States.

Advances in technology gifted us with greater convenience through smaller, smarter devices, while also contributing to energy efficiency. This “naturally occurring” form of energy efficiency is driving down energy demand as customers adopt new technologies. Energy efficiency can be described in three waves, dating back to the 1970s. In this episode, EPRI researcher Doug Lindsey discusses the characteristics of each wave, specifically those associated with the third wave, and potential impact on the utility industry.

With a growing number of electric vehicle options entering the market, able to cover longer distances at an affordable price, the idea of a North American infrastructure for vehicle charging is moving from concept to reality. Dan Bowermaster, EPRI senior program manager for electric transportation, discusses what exists today and pilot projects underway to plan for an increasingly electrified tomorrow.

As utilities look at maintaining nuclear power generation assets beyond current 60 year operating licenses, EPRI’s Long-Term Operations program is researching the technical issues associated with long term operations. Senior Program Manager Sherry Bernhoft discusses the potential for life extensions to 80 years, and even beyond.

If you’ve played Pokémon Go, you’ve experienced augmented reality. The benefits of this technology reach far beyond gaming. Advances in augmented reality are allowing utilities to visualize components and systems. In this episode, EPRI Technical Executive John Simmins discusses potential applications for the “glasses” that would alter how utility workers view their work in the field.

The December 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change set a new direction for global climate policy with developing and developed countries joining together in making commitments to limit their emissions through 2030 ,and beyond. Hear from EPRI climate researcher Steve Rose about his participation as well as important takeaways from the historic event.

The Incubatenergy Network, an effort led by EPRI with co-funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, is creating a stronger collaborations with the entrepreneurial community to identify and incubate clean energy technologies. EPRI's lead for the Incubatenergy Network, Beth Hartman, is joined by Jenn Garson from the DOE and Kathleen Baireuther from the Austin Technology Incubator to discuss the role the network plays in supporting entrepreneurs.

The power system is rapidly changing. What does that mean for utilities? What does it mean for consumers? EPRI President and CEO Mike Howard is joined by EPRI Technology Innovation Senior Program Manager Ron Schoff to talk about the principles of flexibility, connectivity and resiliency, which EPRI sees as central to transforming the power system.