Podcasts about epri

In this second episode of the GridTalk Series on the EPRI Current, host Marty Rosenberg speaks with Audrey Zibelman – former Chair of the New York Public Service Commission and CEO of the Australian Energy Market Operator – about lessons from New York's Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative and what it may take to scale distributed energy resources (DER). Drawing on global experiences, Audrey shares insights from U.S. regulatory innovation and Australia's efforts in rooftop solar and two-way energy systems, offering a unique perspective into how international best practices can inform U.S. strategies for resilience, affordability, and modernization. She also previews her work with the Pew Charitable Trust on a forthcoming DER playbook, focused on regulatory reform, market design, and scenario-based planning to meet surging demand from electrification and data centers.     Then, join Samantha Gilman for “EPRI's Take” with Haresh Kamath, EPRI Director of Cross-Cutting Technologies and Solutions. Haresh discusses operational challenges utilities face when integrating DER and storage, including interoperability, visibility, business models, and contracts. He highlights EPRI's FLEXIT initiative and emphasizes the importance of industry-wide collaboration and common approaches to unlock DER's full potential for grid flexibility and resilience.     For more information and episodes visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com       

As artificial intelligence is transforming the energy sector, Europe is laying the groundwork for secure and scalable innovation. The AI-EFFECT project is establishing a European Testing and Experimentation Facility to develop, test, and validate AI applications for critical energy infrastructures. Funded by Horizon Europe, the project aims to integrate AI into critical energy infrastructures to optimize operations, reduce costs, enhance resilience, and support decarbonization efforts.     In this episode of EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman is joined by Alexandra Bach from RWTH Aachen University, Meine van der Meulen from DNV, and Gianluca Lipari from EPRI Europe to explore Work Package 2 of the AI-EFFECT – the architecture and building blocks that enable distributed nodes across multiple countries. Tune in to discover why interoperability, intellectual property protection, and collaboration are essential for accelerating AI adoption in the energy sector. Plus, learn how EPRI's global initiatives, including Open Power AI Consortium (OPAI) and AI benchmarking, are shaping the future of AI for utilities.     For more information about AI-EFFECT and AI in the power industry: AI-EFFECT: https://europe.epri.com/project/ai-effect OPAI: https://msites.epri.com/opai AI Benchmarking: https://interactive.epri.com/wattworks EPRI Europe: https://europe.epri.com/   For more information and episodes visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com       

Morten Handberg, Principal Consultant at Wind Power LAB, returns to discuss blade damage categorization. From transverse cracks and leading edge erosion to carbon spar cap repairs, he explains what severity levels really mean for operators and why the industry still lacks a universal standard. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes’ YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Welcome to Uptime Spotlight, shining Light on Wind. Energy’s brightest innovators. This is the Progress Powering tomorrow. Morten, welcome back to the program. Thanks, Allen. It’s fantastic to be back again. Boy, we have a lot to discuss and today we’re gonna focus on categorization of damage, which is a super hot topic across the industry. What does a cat five mean? What does a category three mean? What does a category 5.9 I’ve I’ve seen that more recently. Why do these defect categories matter? Morten Handberg: Well, it matters a lot because it really tells you as, uh, either an OEM or as an operator, how should you respond to your current blade issue. So you need to have some kind of categorization about what the defect type is and what the severity is. The severity will tell you something about the repairability and [00:01:00] also something about the part of the blade that is affected. The type of the defect tells you something about what is the origin From an operational point of view, it doesn’t make as much sense in a way because you really just wanna know, can this be repaired or not? You know? And you know, what does it need to repair? That’s what you need, what you really need to focus on as an operator, whether it’s then del elimination, erosion, peeling. Uh, transverse cracks, it’ll all come down to repairs. It does matter for you because it will tell you an underlying, you know, are there reason why I’m keep seeing all these damages? So that’s why you need to know the category as well. But purely operational. You just need to know what is the severity side know, what does it take to repair it? Allen Hall: So as the operator, a lot of times they’re getting information from different service providers or even the OEM. They’re getting multiple inputs on what a damage is in terms of a category. Are we getting a lot of conflicting information about this? Because the complaint from [00:02:00] I hear from operators is the OE EMM says this is a category four. The ISP says is a category five. Who am I to believe right Morten Handberg: now? Well, there is a lot of, a bit different opinions of that. It almost becomes a religious issue question at some point, but it, it really dives down to that, you know, there is no real standardization in the wind industry. And we’ve been discussing this, uh, I wanna say decades, probably not that much, but at least for the past 11 years I’ve been, been hearing this discussion come up. Uh, so it’s, it’s something this was just been struggling with, but it also comes down to that. Each OEM have their own origin. Uh, so that also means that they have trended something from aeronautics, from ship building industry, from, you know, uh, from, from some other composite related industry, or maybe not even composite related. And that means that they are building their own, uh, their own truth about what the different defects are. There is a lot of correlation between them, but there is still a lot of, lot of tweaks [00:03:00] and definitions in between and different nomenclature. That does add a a lot of confusion. Allen Hall: Okay, Morten Handberg: so Allen Hall: that explains, I mean, because there isn’t an industry standard at the moment. There is talk of an industry standard, but it does seem like from watching from the outside, that Europe generally has one, or operators specifically have one. Uh, EPRI’s been working on one for a little while. Maybe the IEC is working on one, but there isn’t like a universal standard today. Morten Handberg: There is not a universal standard. I mean, a lot of, a lot of OEMs or service providers will, will, will claim that they have the standard, they have the definition in wind power lab. We have our own. That we have derived from the industry and in, in general. But there is not an, uh, an industry agreed standard that everyone adheres to. That much is true. You could say in Europe, a lot of owners have come together, uh, in the Blade Forum, and they have derived, there’s a standard within that. Um, uh, and with a lot of success, they’d written, the [00:04:00] Blade Hamburg I think was very helpful because it was operator driven, um, approach. Allen Hall: So there is a difference then between defects that are significant and maybe even classified as critical and other defects that may be in the same location on the blade. How are those determined? Morten Handberg: The way that I’ve always approached is that I will look at firstly what kind of blades type it is. So how is it structured? Where are the load carrying elements of the blade? That’s very important because you can’t really say on a business V 90 and a Siemens, uh, 3.6 that the defect in the same position will mean the same thing. That’s just not true because they are structured in very different ways. So you really need to look at the plate type just to start with. Then you need to look at, is it in a. In a loaded part of the blade, meaning is it over the, the load carrying part, um, uh, laminates? Is it in a, in a shell area? And you know, what is the approximate distance from the roof? Is that, that also tells you something [00:05:00] about the general loads in the area. So you know, you need to take that into consideration. Then you also need to look at how much of the blade is actually affected. Is it just surface layers? Is it just coating or is it something that goes, uh, through the entire laminate stack? And if that is on the, on the beam laminate, you’re in serious trouble. Then it will be a category five. If the beam laminate is vectored. And if you’re lucky enough that your blade is still sitting on the turbine, you should stop it, uh, to avoid a complete BA bait collapse. Uh, so, so you need, so, so that, you know, you can, that, that is very important when you’re doing defect categorizations. So that means that you need Allen Hall: internal inspections on top of external Morten Handberg: inspections. If you see something, uh, that is potentially critical, then yeah, you should do an internal inspection as well to verify whether it’s going through, um, the entire lemonade stack or not. That that’s a, that’s a good, good, good approach. Um, I would say often, you know, if you see something that is potentially critical, uh, but there is still a possibility that could be repaired. Then I might even also just send up a repair [00:06:00] team, uh, to see, you know, look from the outside how much of the area is actually affected, because that can also pretty quickly give you an indication, do we need to take this blade down or not? Sometimes you’ll just see it flat out that, okay, this crack is X meters long, it’s over sensitive area of the blade. You know, we need to remove this blade. Uh, maybe when, once it’s down we can determine whether it’s repairable or not, but. We, but it’s not something that’s going to be fixed up tower, so there’s not a lot of need for doing a lot of added, um, add added inspections to verify this, this point. Allen Hall: Let’s talk about cracks for a moment, because I’ve seen a lot of cracks over the last year on blades and some of them to me look scary because they, they are going transverse and then they take a 90 degree and start moving a different direction. Is there a, a rule of thumb about cracks that are visual on the outside of the blade? Like if it’s how, if they’re [00:07:00] closer to the root they’re more critical than they’re, if they’re happening further outers or is there not a rule of thumb? You have to understand what the design of the blade is. Morten Handberg: Well, I mean the general rule of thumb is transfers cracks is a major issue that’s really bad. That’s, uh, you know, it’s a clear sign, something. Severely structural is going on because the transverse crack does not develop or develop on its own. And more likely not once it starts, you know, then the, uh, the, the strain boundaries on the sides of the cr of the crack means that it requires very little for it to progress. So even if in a relatively low loaded area with low strain, once you have a, a transverse crack, uh, present there, then it will continue. Uh, and you mentioned that it’s good during a 90 degree. That’s just because it’s doing, it’s, it’s taking the least path of the path of least resistance, because it’ll have got caught through the entire shell. Then when it reaches the beam, the beam is healthy. It’s very stiff, very rigid laminate. So it’s easier for it to go longitudinal towards the [00:08:00] root because that’s, that, that, that’s how it can progress. That’s where it has the, uh, you know, the, the, the strain, uh, um, the, the strain high, high enough strain that it can actually, uh, develop. That that’s what it would do. So transverse cracks in general is really bad. Of course, closer to root means it’s more critical. Um, if there is a crack transverse crack, uh, very far out in the tip, I would usually say, you know, in the tip area, five, 10 meter from the tip, I would say, okay, there’s something else going on. Something non load related. Probably causes, could be a lightning strike, could be an impact damage. That changed the calculation a little bit because then, you know, it’s not a load driven issue. So that might give you some time to, you know, that you can operate with something at least. But again, I, I don’t want to make any general rules that people then didn’t go out and say, well, I did that, so, and, but my blade still broke. That’s not really how it works. You need to really, you need to, to, uh, look at cracks like that individually. You can’t make a a common rule. Allen Hall: Another [00:09:00] area, which is under discussion across the industry are surface defects and there are a variety of surface defects. We’re seeing a lot of hail damage this year. Uh, that’s getting categorized as lightning damage. And so there’s obviously a different kind of repair going on. Hail versus lightning. Are there some standards regarding surface defects? Uh, the visuals on them? Is there a guideline about Morten Handberg: it? Well, I mean, uh, some of the, uh, some of the, how do you say, omic couture, some of the, uh, some of the standards, they do provide some guideline to determine which surface kind of surface defect it is, you could say, on the operational points, as long as it’s surface related. Then the repair methodology is the same, whether it’s peeling, erosion, voids, chipping scratches, the repair is the same. So that in principle does not change anything. But in the reason why it matters is because we need to understand the [00:10:00] underlying issue. So if you have lot of peeling, for instance, it means you have a very low quoting quality, and that is something that is either post post repair related or it’s manufacturing related, depending on the blade, on the age of your blade. So that’s very important for you to know because if you have peeling somewhere, then more likely than not, you’ll also have have issues with it elsewhere because, you know, tend to, they tend to follow each other, you know, coding quality issues. So that’s a good thing to know for you as an operator that you, this is just one of many, erosion is important, but often gets miscategorized because erosion is a leading edge issue. Um, so we only see it on the, on the very edge of the leading edge. So approximately 40 millimeter band. That’s typically what we see, and it’s straight on the leading edge. So if someone’s claiming that they see lead, leading edge erosion on the, on the pressure side, shell or ide, shell, it’s miscategorizing because that’s what you, that’s not why they have to have the ring. Uh, impacts ring can still, still [00:11:00] hit the shells, but when it hits the, the, the shell areas, it will ricochet because it hits it at an angle. Leading edge gets straight on. So it gets the entire impact force and that’s why you get the erosion issue because of, of fatigue essentially. Uh, coding fatigue. So that’s very important. There is something that you know you can really utilize if you just know that simple fact that it’s always a leading edge, it’s always uniform. It, you can track that. And if you have leading edge erosion in one area, you will have it in the entire wind farm. So you don’t need to do that much inspection to determine your erosion levels, voids, pinholes. They are manufacturing driven because they are driven by either imperfections in the coating, meaning you have a sand, grain dust, or you had, uh, air inclusions underneath your coating. And they will weaken the structure. And that means that, um, rain effect or other effects causing strain on your coating will accelerate a lot faster. So they will develop and create these small, um, yeah, uh, how do you [00:12:00] say, small defined holes in your coating. So that’s why it’s important to know. But if you’re running a wind farm 15 years, 10 years down the line. Then it’s more important for you to know that it’s a surface defect and you need to fix it by doing coating repair. You don’t need to think so much about the, the underlying issue, I would say. Allen Hall: Okay. I think that’s been miscategorized a number of times. I’ve seen what I would consider to be some sort of paint adhesion issue because it’s sort of mid cord and not near the leading edge, but sometimes it just looks like there’s massive peeling going on and maybe, uh, it’s easy to assume that maybe is erosion. It’s just a weak adhesion of paint. That that’s what you’re saying? Morten Handberg: Yeah. If it’s, if it’s midspan, if it’s shell related, then it’s, it’s a, it’s a coating quality related issue. It doesn’t really have anything to do with erosion. Um, you could say erosion. We can, we can, we can, uh, we can look at in, in, in two areas. So you have the out or third of the leading edge. [00:13:00] That’s where you would have the theoretical leading edge erosion breakdown, because that’s where you have rain impact high enough that it will cause some kind of degradation, but that all of your leading edge will suffer in the same way because the tip speed of the outer four meters of your blade. Versus the re the other, you know, uh, 10, 12 meters depending on length of your blade. Sometimes it’s a lot longer, but they are getting degraded in a much different way. So the out of pew meters, they can get what’s called structural erosion. So that means that the erosion goes fast enough and it’s progressive enough that you can start to damage the laminate underneath. You won’t see that further in because the, the impact is just not that great and you will likely not see structural erosion over the lifetime, but the out a few meters, that’s important. And that’s where you need, need to focus your, that that’s where you need to pay attention on what kind of materials you add because that can save you a lot of repair, re, re repair. And, uh, down the line, how do you categorize Allen Hall: leading edge erosion? A lot of [00:14:00] times I see it, uh, from operators. Let’s say it’s, uh, category four because it’s into the fiber. But is it always a structural issue? Is there a lot of loading on the leading edges of these blades where you would have to come back with structural applies to repair it? Or is it just a aerodynamic shape and does it really depend upon who the OE Em is? Morten Handberg: Well, I mean, I’ve seen erosion category five as well, and I think it’s a mis misinterpretation. I think it’s, you know, people are trying it to raise awareness that, hey, there was a serious issue with erosion, but it’s a wrong way to use the severities. Because if we look at severity five, severity five, if you have a critical issue, your blade is about to come down if you don’t do anything. So category five means you need to stop your turbine. Maybe you can repair it, but that really depends on the, uh, on what is damaged by, on, on, on the blade. And you can determine that once you removed it and looked at it on, on, on the ground. But you need to stop. Category four is a severe structural damage. It’s not something that [00:15:00] is causing an immediate threat, but it’s something that will progress rapidly if you don’t do anything. So here you need to look at the damage itself. So how does it affect the structure and can you operate it curtailed, uh, or can you operate it, uh, or can you operate normally and repair it within a short time window? That’s what you can use because it’s something that is. Uh, that can, that can develop into an, into an imminent issue if you don’t react to it. Severity three is more for your, is more your annual maintenance schedule. So that is your, your minor structural damages and it’s your erosion issues. So that’s something that there is a severity Three, you need to look at it for next year’s budget. Severity two means that. Something that’s gradually degradating your coating on the blade, but it’s not something that means anything at this point in time. So one is your coating, is your surface damage or minor surface damage. Pinholes uh, contamination. It’s really light issue, so it’s not something you really need to consider. So. [00:16:00] Severity ones, you, you really mean that, that it’s, you don’t need to think about this anymore. You know, it’s, it’s not an issue. So erosion will fall typically within severity two to severity four. Severity four being you have a hole in your blade from erosion, basically. Uh, because you can still have structural degradation of deleting it and still being a severity three, because it does not really change your maintenance cycle in any, in any way. You don’t need to do anything immediate to fix it. Um, so that’s why I would put most of erosion defects in severity three and just say, okay, it’s something we need to plan a leading edge, a leading edge ERO repair campaign next year or the year after, depending on the severity of it. That’s why, how I, I would approach, Allen Hall: that’s good insight, because I do think a lot of operators, when they do see a hole in the leading edge, think I have to stop this turbine. But at the same token, I have seen other operators with holes. I could put my fist through. That are continuing to use those blades and they will say, it’s not structural, it’s not [00:17:00] great aerodynamically, but the, we’re still making power here. We’re still making rated power. Even with the hole and the leading edge, it’s not going to progress anymore. It’s a, it’s a, it’s a progression that we understand. That’s how they describe it. It will get worse, but it’s not gonna get catastrophic worse. Morten Handberg: I mean, if you run it long enough, at some point, something secondary will happen. Sure. But again, that’s also why we use the severity four category for erosion, where you have severe structural degradation because it does starting to mean something for the integrity of the blade. It will not mean that it’s coming down right away when you see a hole in the blade from erosion. That’s, that’s the entire purpose of it. But it does it, you use it to raise awareness that there is something you need to look at imminently or at least react to, uh, and make a plan for. You can’t just pull, you can’t just delay it until next year’s, uh, maintenance campaign. We have an active issue here, so that’s why I think severity four applies to erosion. That has penetrated all structural layers. Allen Hall: Are there some [00:18:00] blade damages that are just can’t be repaired or, or just have too much difficulty to repair them, that it’s not worth it? And how do you know? How do you understand? That blade is not repairable versus the one next to it which looks similar, which can be repaired. What goes into that assessment? Morten Handberg: So one is, is the, is the beam laminate damaged? If it is, then uh, either it comes down to a commercial decision. It’s simply not fixable and, and restoring it in, you know, restoring it back, uh, to original form ship. And there’s also the, the, uh, the, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, uh, returning element of carbon fiber, because carbon fiber adds another level of complexity repairs, because you’re so dependent on the pristine quality of the carbon for it to, to, for, to utilize the, the, uh, mechanical strength of carbon. And if you, if you don’t apply it in the right way, then you can create some high stress zones. Where, you know, the [00:19:00] cure is as bad as the disease really. So that’s why you have to be extra careful with carbon repairs. But they can be done. But it, you know, it really comes down to a commercial decision then. So in principle, unless the blade is deformed, uh, or, or, or damaged in such a way that you have to remove a large part of the s shell lemonade in a loaded area, then most things they can, in principle, be repaired. It’s just a matter of is the, is the cost of the repair. Cheaper than the cost of a new blade. And that calculation might, you know, depend on are there any, any spare blades available? Is this blade, uh, still in production? And if I don’t repair this, then I don’t have any blade for my turbine and then I can’t operate anymore. That also changed the calculus right along quite a lot, so I think. For a lot of damages. It, it’s more of a, it’s often more of a commercial decision rather than a technical, because ca glass fiber is very forgiving. You can repair a lot, even if it’s really severe. I mean, I’ve seen blade repairs that took [00:20:00] 3000 hours, but it was deemed worthwhile because you couldn’t get a, a bare blade. And in most other cases, that would’ve been been scrapped, you know, without, you know, without blinking. Um, so, so, you know, if you really want to, you could repair it. In a lot of cases, Allen Hall: how difficult is it to repair carbon protrusions, because it does seem like when they manufacture those protrusions, there’s a lot of quality control going into it. The fibers have to be in the right direction all the time, and they’re really compacted in there. They’re tight, tight block of carbon that you’re purchasing and sliding into into this blade. Are they really repairable in sections or is it you have to take out the whole length of a pultrusion and replace it? I’m, I’m trying to understand the difficulty here because there’s a lot of operators in the United States now that have some portion of their fleet is carbon spar cap, not a lot of it, but some of it. How [00:21:00] difficult is that to repair? Morten Handberg: Well, it’s difficult enough that a lot of OEMs, they will say if you have a damage to the carbon, it’s a non-repairable defect. That is to a large extent the general rule. Um, there are, there are, uh, there are ways and some of it is replacement of the protrusion. Um, other, another method is, is to do a vacuum infusion lamination. I’ve also seen some repairs with success where, uh, glass fiber is utilized instead of carbon fiber. So you reply, so you, you, um, you calculate the mechanical strength of the carbon. And then replace that with an equal amount, you know, strength wise of glass fiber. The problem is you are to a degree playing with little bit with fire because you are then changing the structure of the blade. You are increasing the thickness and thereby you are changing the stiffness. So it’s, you have to be really [00:22:00] careful, uh, it’s possible. And uh, again. All if all other options are out and you want this blade really to get up and running again because it’s your only option. Maybe it’s worthwhile to, to investigate, but it requires a lot of insight in and also a little bit of, uh, how do you say, uh, you don’t, you shouldn’t be too risk adverse if you go down that that route, but, but again, it is possible. It is technically possible. But it’s something you do for the outer, uh, outer areas of the blade where you have less loads and you’re less sensitive. Allen Hall: Can those carbon repairs be done up tower or are they always done with the rotor set or the blade drop down to ground? Morten Handberg: I know some carbon repairs have been done up tower, but in general it’s down tower also, just because if you have damage to your carbon, it means you have a severe structural issue. So you wouldn’t generally try to do it that well, I would, not in general, but, but the, the, the cases I’ve seen that, that has been downturn repairs. Yeah. Allen Hall: Do you think about the categories differently? If it includes carbon [00:23:00] as a structural element? Morten Handberg: No, because carbon is part of the load carrying laminate. If you’re to the load carrying laminate, then it becomes a four or five immediately. Um, so, uh, so I would say the same rule applies because ag again, it’s a very rough scale, but it applied, but it gives you a sense of where, you know, what is the urgency, which is what I think we in generally need. And I like the more simple model because it’s more applicable to the general industry and it’s easier for, uh, you know, it’s easier to, to implement. Um. And it is easier to understand than if you have a too too gradual, uh, scale because it’s difficult for the people who are sitting and assessing to determine if, uh, you know, what, what category it is. And it’s difficult for the people who have to read the report afterwards. And it’s also about, you know, what is the purpose? And in general, I would say, well, this, the defect categorization, the severe categorization is to determine can this be repaired or not? That’s what we use it [00:24:00] for. So that, that, that’s how we, it should be applied. Allen Hall: Is the industry going to have a universal standard? Soon. Is that possible? Or is this really gonna be country by country, region by region? How we think about blade defects and blade repairs? Morten Handberg: I think that. Given the, uh, the, how do you say, the individual interests in having their own model from the different OEMs or service providers? I think the, when they’re choosing a pope, they have an easy task ahead of them, you know, deciding that. Then we have the agreeing on an on inte standard and on plate. Allen Hall: Pope is currently an American, so that tells you something. The world has shifted. There is still hope. Maybe there is still hope because it, it is a very difficult problem and I hear a lot of conflicting opinions about it and they’re not wrong. The opinions I hear when they’re explained to me, they have a rationale as to why. They’re calling something a cat four versus a cat three. [00:25:00] It all makes sense, but when you get two engineers in the room, they’re rarely are going to agree. So I’m just thinking maybe, maybe there isn’t a, a yeah, maybe there isn’t a time where we’re all gonna come together. Morten Handberg: I think that, you know, it’s, it’s also about what are you willing to accept and what are you willing to s. You know, as an OEM, as a blade engineer, as a service provider, in order to make common agreement. Because I think if we were willing to, you know, set aside differences, um, and then agree on, okay, what is the, what, what is that, what is the, the ma the industry needs and what, what fulfills the purpose? We could agree tomorrow, but that’s not where we are, uh, at the moment. So, so I don’t see that happening anytime soon. But yes, there, there was a way to do an in to make an international standard. Um, for blades and I, I would say maybe it’s, if the IC made, made, made one, then maybe that that could, uh, that could fix it. Uh, maybe if, uh, they’re starting to become more [00:26:00]focused from governments, uh, and you know, that it wind industry becomes recognized as critical infrastructure. That then there is a requirement for international standards on what are defects, to make it easier to determine what is critical or not, so that proper reaction can be made. That will also help it. But again, as long as it’s only about late experts having to agree with each other and that’s the only then, then we’re, then we will not get to a point where we’re going to agree on, on everything. No. Allen Hall: Wow. This is a continual discussion about blade defects and categorization and Morton. I really appreciate. You’re giving us your thoughts about it because I trust you one and two, you’re on the leading edge of what the industry is thinking. So it’s very good to get you in here and explain where categorization is and, and two operators that are listening to this podcast understand you’re probably getting a lot of different opinions about categorization. You need to sit down and figure it out for yourself, or reach out to Morton who can explain what you should be thinking and how you should be [00:27:00]thinking about this problem. Morton, how do people get ahold of you to learn more? Morten Handberg: Easiest way is to reach out to me on LinkedIn. Um, I have a very active profile there. You can always write me and I’ll always write, write, write it back. You can also write to me on my company email, m me h@windpowerapp.com. Um, those are the two easiest way to get, uh, get in, in, uh, get in touch me. And I would say, as an owner, what you need to know. Is it a structural issue or is a surface issue you have? And then plan your repairs from there. That is, that is the. Basic, yeah, that, that you need to have, and then forget about the others, the other side of it, you know, if it’s one defect type or another, that’s not necessarily what’s going to help you. It’s all about getting the blades repaired. And, uh, and the turbine up and running again. That should be the focus. Allen Hall: Absolutely. Morton, we love having you on the podcast. Thank you so much for joining us. It’s good to be here. See [00:28:00] you.

Geopower, Energy Realpolitik with Todd Royal – Todd shows how political fantasies about 100% renewables collide with materials limits, cost structures, and physical constraints. This leads into a breakdown of U.S. power-demand forecasts, referencing new research from Grid Strategies, EPRI, and DOE scenario modeling. All three converge on the same conclusion: the US is entering an era of...

Hosts Marty Rosenberg and Samantha Gilman introduce the Grid Talk Series on the EPRI Current. In this inaugural episode, Marty speaks with Gil Quiniones, President and CEO of ComEd, about the unprecedented transformation of the electric grid. Gil explains how surging demand from data centers, electrification, and manufacturing reshoring is reshaping ComEd's strategy – and why the next decade will bring more change than the past century. Learn about ComEd's multi-year grid modernization plan, the role of AI in boosting reliability, and how community solar, microgrids, and climate adaptation will define the future. From cybersecurity to workforce evolution, this conversation reveals what it takes to build a dynamic, interactive grid that powers communities.   At the end of the episode, join host Samantha Gilman for “EPRI's Take” with Morgan Scott, VP of Global Partnerships and Outreach. They discuss rising energy demand and the need to keep energy affordable for customers, emphasizing EPRI's focus on flexibility and climate-informed planning to build resilience into grid investments from the start.     For more information and episodes visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com       

Tell us what you think of the show! Ready or not, electric vehicle adoption is happening in America. It feels like we've reached an inflection point- especially as range increases, EVs are simply proving to be a better mousetrap- and now there's a race coast-to-coast to bulk up the charging infrastructure needed to enable the scaling of fleets and longhaul trucking. That's no easy thing to figure out- developers must work closely with utilities to bring these power-sucking sites online without overworking the local grid. And since everyone needs power YESTERDAY, there's a timeliness component to this too- and we all know time means money.The Electric Power Research Institute, better known as EPRI, is taking on the challenge of connecting the dots and facilitating a planning process for the deployment of EV charging projects.On this episode, Factor This Content Director Paul Gerke is joined by EPRI director of transportation Britta Gross to discuss GridFAST, a central, secure portal designed to improve communication between stakeholders, bringing them together early on to ensure everyone gets what they want, when they want it- or as close to it as possible.Want to make a suggestion for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

Ahead of the Power Resilience Forum (PRF), industry leaders reflect on what it takes to build a climate-ready grid. In this episode of The EPRI Current, host Samantha Gillman speaks with Julia Hamm from the Ad Hoc Group and EPRI's Morgan Scott about how utilities, regulators, and innovators are adapting grid planning and operations to become more resilient to extreme weather events.     They share personal experiences with hurricanes and superstorms, highlighting EPRI's Climate Resilience and Adaptation (READi) initiative – a comprehensive framework to assess physical climate risk across the power system. They also preview the upcoming PRF, hosted by The Ad Hoc Group and Latitude Media in collaboration with EPRI. Designed to convene leaders from across the industry, the PRF aims to promote collaboration and climate-informed planning. Tune in to learn about how proactive investment, cross-sector collaboration, and climate-informed planning are shaping a resilient energy future.       For more information and episodes visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com       

Hot isostatic pressing, or HIP, is experiencing a powerful resurgence across industries from aerospace to nuclear energy as manufacturers look for new ways to scale up. In this episode, Heat Treat Radio host, Doug Glenn, is joined by Cliff Orcutt, American Isostatic Presses, Inc. ; Oscar Martinez, Bodycote; Victor Samarov, Synertech PM; Soumya Nag, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Mike Conaway, Isostatic Forging International; and Dave Gandy, EPRI. This panel of HIP experts to explores how renewed investment, government collaboration, and additive manufacturing are driving HIP's next era of growth. From large-scale production to powder-to-part innovations, discover why this decades-old process is suddenly critical to the future of U.S. manufacturing. Watch | Listen | Learn Full transcript, audio, and video to this episode is located here: https://heattreattoday.com/radio

The EPRI Current celebrates Bat Week by highlighting a surprising yet vital connection: the electric sector is working with conservationists to protect bats from a deadly disease. Bats play a crucial role in ecosystems, and their survival is increasingly threatened by a fungal disease known as white-nose syndrome.     In this episode, host Samantha Gilman is joined by EPRI's Christian Newman and Dr. Winifred Frick from Bat Conservation International to unpack the “Fat Bat” project – a collaborative effort to combat white-nose syndrome using UV light “bug buffets” to help bats bulk up before hibernation, boosting their chances of survival. With insights into bat ecology, conservation strategies, industry partnerships, and bats' role in pollination (including tequila production), this episode showcases how cross-sector collaboration is helping protect these vital pollinators and pest controllers. Plus, learn about The Invisible Mammal, a new documentary featuring the project.     For more information and episodes visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com   

Get the latest updates from our LinkedIn page! https://onelink.to/treesandlinesWelcome back to another episode of the Trees & Lines podcast. Yamille Del Valle, Program Manager at EPRI, and Don Von Dollen, Senior Program Manager at EPRI, join us to discuss how EPRI is driving innovation where agriculture meets utility research. They share how utilities and researchers are collaborating through EPRI's Distribution Forum to advance vegetation management, test emerging technologies, and define best practices for a more reliable, resilient grid. Have a listen, hope you enjoy!#VegetationManagement #UtilityResearch #EPRI #GridReliability #UtilityLeadership #Innovation #AI #UtilityArboriculture #EnergyInfrastructure #Sustainability #UtilityLeadership #UtilityOperations #Utilities #ExecutiveStrategy #UtilityInnovation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The nuclear industry is in an era of rapid innovation and deployment. In this episode of The EPRI Current, host Samantha Gillman is joined by Alison Krager Hahn from NEI and Chad Boyer from EPRI to revisit the 2023 episode on the Advanced Reactor (AR) Roadmap, assessing the industry's recent progress with advanced technologies and where it's headed next. Developed as a collaborative framework, the roadmap serves as a strategic guide for the successful commercialization and large-scale deployment of advanced reactor designs.      Alison and Chad unpack the 2025 roadmap update, highlighting strides in emergency preparedness, fuel supply, and workforce development. They explore the growing role of data centers and industrial decarbonization in shaping demand and discuss how policy shifts and bipartisan support are accelerating deployment. With insights into how industry-wide collaboration is shaping the future, they offer a timely look at how advanced reactors are positioned to meet rising energy demands, and how the roadmap is guiding the way.     To explore the AR Roadmap, visit https://ant.epri.com/roadmap     For more information and episodes visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com   

Hydrogen is gaining momentum in Europe as a potential strategic energy carrier, and Ireland is stepping into the spotlight with its first hydrogen valley initiative – SH2AMROCK. In this episode of The EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman speaks with Rory Monaghan from the University of Galway, Conor O'Dowd from the Port of Galway, and Maria Jaen from EPRI to discuss the vision behind SH2AMROCK and its role in reshaping Ireland's energy landscape.     The SH2AMROCK Project brings together public and private collaborators to deploy green hydrogen as part of the EU Horizon program for research and innovation. From digital twins to startup hubs, experts explore how hydrogen valleys can drive regional decarbonization and energy innovation. Learn how Galway's unique geography, vibrant innovation ecosystem, and strong offshore wind potential make it an ideal launchpad for hydrogen infrastructure.     Read more about Ireland's hydrogen valley initiative: https://www.sh2amrock.eu/     For more information and episodes visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com   

Hydropower plays a vital role in the U.S. energy mix, but how will its infrastructure hold up under a changing climate with evolving weather patterns?     In this episode of The EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman is joined by EPRI experts Jacob Mardian and Dr. Mark Christian to explore the future of hydropower in the face of extreme weather. Drawing from a recent nationwide hydropower study under EPRI's Climate Resilience and Adaptation Initiative (Climate READi), guests discuss how extreme weather events, like droughts and floods, are impacting hydropower operations and infrastructure. The experts highlight the importance of proactive planning, data-driven risk assessments, and collaboration across sectors to ensure long-term reliability and safety. After analyzing more than 1,500 hydropower facilities nationwide, they offer insights into regional vulnerabilities, adaptation strategies, and the role of hydropower in a clean energy future.     Explore how climate risks are impacting hydropower across the U.S. in EPRI's latest study: https://www.epri.com/research/products/000000003002033642       For more information visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com   

As energy demand rises and electrification accelerates, understanding household energy affordability is more important than ever. In this episode of the EPRI Current, Geoff Blanford from EPRI and Michael Kohlhaas from Con Edison join host Samantha Gilman to discuss the Energy Wallet – EPRI's new holistic metric for capturing total household energy usage and spending, including gas, electricity, and transportation. The experts share findings from EPRI's recent report, which projects a 36% decline in the average U.S. household energy spending by 2050, and highlights how utilities like Con Edison are using similar models to guide long-term planning and support communities. Tune in to learn how data-driven insights are shaping the future of energy affordability and resilience.     Learn more about the Energy Wallet: https://energywallet.epri.com/       For more information visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com   

For the next few episodes, we're digging into the wild world of energy and the aging global electricity grid. This week, we start where reliability begins: utility-scale storage. The grid we have was built for one-way power plants; the grid we need has to juggle rooftop solar at noon, heat waves at 6 p.m., EVs, and data centers galore.My guest is Tom Sisto, founder & CEO of XL Batteries. His team is commercializing a pH-neutral, aqueous organic flow battery — a non-flammable, salt-water system using carbon-based molecules instead of vanadium. Think: safer, long-life storage you can scale for hours to days, without sulfuric acid or scarce metals.We get into:Why storage is the “time machine” the grid needs (match generation to demand, cut curtailment)Flow batteries 101: engine vs. tank, independent power and duration, and why that matters for utilitiesXL's chemistry: organic charge carriers in neutral saltwater (no vanadium, no acid), designed for long lifeCost and safety vs. lithium — and why duration + cycle life drive utility economicsReal-world progress: containerized field unit, EPRI duty-cycle testing, and an industrial pilot at Stolthaven TerminalsRetrofit potential: turning existing petrochemical tanks into energy storage tanksStorage-as-transmission: placing batteries on both sides of a bottleneck to double effective flowReliability + resilience: PSPS/wildfire shutoffs, hurricane backup, and data-center load growthWhere decentralization fits, and how industrial customers can de-risk adoption on the way to utility scaleLinks & resources:XL Batteries — https://xlbatteries.com/Everybody in the Pool: all episodes & newsletter — https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/Become a paid subscriber for an ad-free feed (and my eternal gratitude) — link in your podcast app!Call to action & what's next:Send thoughts & voice memos: in@everybodyinthepool.com — where do you see storage unlocking reliability?If you liked this one, share it with a grid geek friend.Smart Grid Series lineup:E101 (this episode): Safe, long-duration flow batteries with XL BatteriesE102 (next): Grid “airbags” — synthetic inertia & fast frequency control with WärtsiläE103 (after that): A rechargeable zinc sponge anode that solves dendrites — Enzinc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adding flexibility to data center loads could ease strain on the grid and reduce the need for costly new generation. And, according to one study, shaving off just a few megawatts during peak hours could also unlock unused capacity —as many as 98 gigawatts in the U.S —  if those facilities reduced load by just 0.5% each year.   The problem: data centers promise near-perfect reliability, often “five nines” (99.999% uptime) in service-level agreements with customers. That leaves little room to adjust something as critical to reliability as power.  But times are changing. The data center market is reckoning with the constraints of the power grid and growing concern about pushing up electricity prices to pay for new generation. In July, the Electric Power Resource Institute's DCFlex demonstration at an Oracle data center in Phoenix, Arizona, reduced load 25% during peak demand. And this month Google expanded its demand response through two new agreements with Michigan Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority. So what are the actual mechanics of data center flexibility? In this episode, Shayle talks to Varun Sivaram, founder and CEO of Emerald AI. The startup's data center flexibility platform powered EPRI's DCFlex demonstration. Shayle and Varun cover topics like: What people often misunderstand about how much of their nameplate capacity data centers actually use  The distinct load profiles of training, inference, and other workloads How data centers can pause, slow, or shift workloads in time or space to reduce demand What it will take for flexibility solutions like Emerald AI to earn operator trust  How much flexibility data centers can realistically achieve  Varun's long-term vision for evolving from occasional demand response to weekly or even daily load shifting Resources: Latitude Media: Nvidia and Oracle tapped this startup to flex a Phoenix data center   Latitude Media: Google expands demand response to target machine learning workloads    Catalyst: The potential for flexible data centers   Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Daniel Woldorff. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is our executive editor. Catalyst is brought to you by Anza, a solar and energy storage development and procurement platform helping clients make optimal decisions, saving significant time, money, and reducing risk. Subscribers instantly access pricing, product, and supplier data. Learn more at go.anzarenewables.com/latitude. Catalyst is supported by EnergyHub. EnergyHub helps utilities build next-generation virtual power plants that unlock reliable flexibility at every level of the grid. See how EnergyHub helps unlock the power of flexibility at scale, and deliver more value through cross-DER dispatch with their leading Edge DERMS platform by visiting energyhub.com. Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the public relations and strategic marketing agency of choice for climate and energy leaders. If you're a startup, investor, or global corporation that's looking to tell your climate story, demonstrate your impact, or accelerate your growth, Antenna Group's team of industry insiders is ready to help. Learn more at antennagroup.com.

Two years ago, EPRI launched the Technology Radar, an interactive resource for identifying and assessing emerging technologies shaping the energy industry. In this episode of the EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman is joined by Steve Stella, Head of EPRI's Technology Innovation Program, to explore how the Tech Radar and Tech Radar Pulse Report track the trajectories of over 70 technologies, including 19 newly added in the latest update.     From space-based solar and carbon capture to solid-state batteries and hydrogen-based technologies, Steve shares how EPRI is analyzing technologies to uncover insights and inform stakeholders across regions and sectors. Focusing on affordability, decarbonization, and energy security, the Pulse Report offers a dynamic, crowdsourced view of what's next across short, mid, and long-term horizons. Tune in to learn how these tools are helping the industry stay ahead of the curve.     Stay tuned for the latest Technology Radar Pulse Report, coming soon.     For more information visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com     

More than 100 of the world's largest energy companies are betting that artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize how electricity gets made, moved, and managed. But they're not waiting for Silicon Valley to build it for them—they've taken matters into their own hands through an EPRI-led consortium. That initiative is the Open Power AI Consortium, which EPRI launched in March 2025 to drive the development and deployment of an open AI model tailored for the power sector. According to its mission statement, the Open Power AI Consortium “aims to evolve the electric sector by leveraging advanced AI technologies to innovate the way electricity is made, moved, and used by customers. By fostering collaboration among industry leaders, researchers, and technology providers, the consortium will drive the development and deployment of cutting-edge AI solutions tailored to enhance operational efficiencies, increase resiliency and reliability, deploy emerging and sustainable technologies, and reduce costs while improving the customer experience.” “We're really looking at building an ecosystem to accelerate the development and deployment, and recognizing that, while AI is advancing rapidly, the energy industry has its own unique needs, especially around reliability, safety, regulatory compliance, and so forth. So, the consortium provides a collaborative platform to develop and maintain domain-specific AI models—think a ChatGPT tailored to the energy industry—as well as sharing best practices, testing innovative solutions in a secure environment, and long term, we believe this will help modernize the grid, improve customer experiences, and support global safe, affordable, and reliable energy for everyone,” Jeremy Renshaw, executive director for AI and Quantum with EPRI, said as a guest on The POWER Podcast. Among the consortium's members are some of the largest energy companies in the world, including Constellation, Con Edison, Duke Energy, EDF, Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), New York Power Authority (NYPA), Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E), Saudi Electricity Co., Southern Company, Southern California Edison, Taiwan Power Co., and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). It also includes entities like Amazon Web Servies (AWS), Burns and McDonnell, GE Vernova, Google, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Interconnection Authority, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP), Khalifa University, Microsoft, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), PJM, Rolls-Royce SMR, and Westinghouse Electric Co. “For many years, the power industry has been somewhat siloed, and there were not many touch points or communication between global utilities, technology companies, universities, and so forth. So, this consortium aims to facilitate making new connections between these important and impactful organizations to increase collaboration and information sharing that will benefit everyone,” Renshaw explained. EPRI, together with Articul8 and NVIDIA, has already developed the first set of domain-specific generative AI models for electric and power systems aimed at advancing the energy transformation. Although the technology has not been released publicly, it will be made available soon as an NVIDIA NIM microservice for early access. This development sets the foundation for more to come.

The energy sector is at a critical inflection point, defined by automation, intelligence, and the integration of AI into energy systems. As grid demands intensify, AI is unlocking transformative solutions, from electrifying economies to integrating renewables and defending against cyber threats.     Industry leaders Bilal Khursheed from Microsoft, Jens Madrian from ENOWA, and Jeremy Renshaw from EPRI join host Samantha Gilman to explore how AI is reshaping the future of energy with EPRI's Open Power AI Consortium (OPAI) – a collaborative platform among 100+ utilities, labs, hyperscalers, and startups to accelerate AI adoption in the power sector. Tune in to learn how shared models, domain-specific sandboxes, and high-quality data are driving real-time grid operations, optimized performance, and enhanced reliability.         For more information visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com     

With an evolving energy landscape, utilities are navigating the complex challenge of balancing legacy assets with the growing integration of renewables while ensuring reliability, affordability, and sustainability.     On this episode of The EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman is joined by Jake Courville from Entergy and Mike Caravaggio from EPRI to discuss the evolving generation fleet, the role of legacy and renewable sources, and maintaining reliable and affordable energy delivery amid increasing climate risks. From workforce readiness to equipment reliability, they explore how EPRI is helping utilities scale wind and solar while balancing legacy fleets, and how utilities like Entergy are using every tool in the toolbox to deliver safe, reliable energy to customers and communities.     For more information visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com     

As of June 1, the North Atlantic Basin officially entered the 2025 hurricane season. NOAA's 2025 forecasts project a 60% chance of an above-normal season, anticipating 13–19 named storms, 6–10 hurricanes, and up to 5 major hurricanes. As peak season approaches, utilities face increasing pressure to prepare.     On the latest episode of the EPRI Current, EPRI experts Andrea Staid and Erik Smith join host Samantha Gilman to explore how power companies can build resilience and maintain reliability amid intensifying storms. They tackle key questions: How accurate are hurricane forecasts? How should power companies plan around the unknown? How do regional differences shape preparedness strategies? The conversation highlights EPRI's Climate READi initiative, which provides science-based guidance to help utilities assess hazard risks, support operational decisions, and plan for long-term climate adaptation.     For more information visit EPRI.com.     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com             

Tell us what you think of the show! Since 2022, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), a nonprofit, independent research and development group focused on the generation, delivery, and use of electricity, has been developing a framework to help utilities enhance the resilience of their infrastructure. The Climate READi initiative aims to strengthen the power sector's collective approach to managing climate risk to power systems.On this episode of the Factor This podcast, host Paul Gerke chats with EPRI's Laura Fischer and Andrea Staid about the ongoing initiative, a robust collaboration including insights from more than 40 electric companies, 100 academic, consulting, and finance institutions, as well as national labs, regulators, and government agencies.Want to suggest something for This Week in Cleantech? Nominate the stories that caught your eye each week by emailing Paul.Gerke@clarionevents.com

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) is propelling us into a new era of innovation that has the potential to transform daily life and drive economic growth. In this episode of the EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman is joined by David Porter, EPRI's VP of Electrification and Sustainable Energy Strategy, and Briana Kobor, Head of Energy Market Innovation at Google. They discuss strategies to realize the benefits of AI while minimizing costs and ensuring grid reliability, featuring insights from DCFlex – a new EPRI initiative to make data centers more flexible and responsive to grid needs. From demand flexibility to utility collaboration and scalable solutions, the conversation highlights the role of cross-sector teamwork in ensuring grid reliability while advancing AI and energy goals.   Guests: David Porter and Briana Kobor     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com   

Around the world, the energy sector faces a shared challenge: significant delays in acquiring gas turbines, a critical technology for grid expansion. In this episode of the EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman sits down with EPRI Sr. Program Manager Bobby Noble to explore a topical question for industry stakeholders and EPRI members: Why are the wait times for gas turbines so long? Bobby sheds light on the implications of a 5-year wait time, addressing the leading causes behind these delays, EPRI's efforts to support and inform the industry, and practical measures the industry can implement to expand near-term capabilities using existing assets.  Guests: Bobby Noble, Sr. Program Manager, EPRI       If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com   

The world's electricity grids are facing unprecedented strain as demand surges from electrification, data centers, and renewable energy integration, while aging infrastructure struggles to keep pace. Traditional approaches to grid expansion—building new transmission lines and substations—face mounting challenges including sometimes decade-long permitting processes, escalating costs that can reach billions per project, and growing public resistance to new infrastructure. This mounting pressure has created an urgent need for innovative solutions that can unlock the hidden capacity already embedded within existing transmission networks. What Are GETs and What Do They Do? Grid enhancing technologies (GETs) represent a transformative approach to this challenge, offering utilities the ability to safely increase power flows on existing transmission lines by up to 40% in some cases without the need for new construction. These advanced technologies—including dynamic line ratings (DLR) that adjust capacity based on real-time weather conditions, high-temperature advanced conductors that can carry significantly more current, and sophisticated power flow controllers that optimize electricity routing—work by maximizing the utilization of current infrastructure. Rather than building around bottlenecks, GETs eliminate them through smarter, more responsive grid management. On an episode of The POWER Podcast, Anna Lafoyiannis, program lead for the integration of renewables and co-lead of the GET SET (Grid Enhancing Technologies for a Smart Energy Transition) initiative with EPRI, explained that GETs can be either hardware or software solutions. “Their purpose is to increase the capacity, efficiency, reliability, or safety of transmission lines. So, think of these as adders to your transmission lines to make them even better,” Lafoyiannis said. “Typically, they reduce congestion costs. They improve the integration of renewables. They increase capacity. They can provide grid service applications. So, they're really multifaceted—very helpful for the grid,” she said. “At EPRI, we think of them as kind of like a tool in a toolbox.” The economic and environmental implications are profound. Deploying GETs can defer or eliminate the need for costly new transmission projects while accelerating the integration of renewable energy resources that are often stranded due to transmission constraints. As utilities worldwide grapple with the dual pressures of modernizing their grids and meeting ambitious clean energy targets, GETs offer a compelling path forward that leverages innovation over infrastructure expansion to create a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable electricity system.

The AI EFFECT project aims to establish a European Testing and Experimentation Facility (TEF) for the energy sector to develop, test, and validate AI applications. Funded by  Horizon Europe, the project addresses the integration of AI into critical energy infrastructures to optimize operations, reduce costs, enhance resilience, and support decarbonization efforts.   This episode of the EPRI Current examines AI's role in improving efficiency, smart grids, generation, distribution, and customer tools as well as some challenges emerging from use cases such as the need for mathematical guarantees to trust AI.   For more information about AI EFFECT and AI in the power industry: AI EFFECT: AI-EFFECT | acquiacmsminimaltemplate OPEN POWER AI: Open Power AI Consortium | EPRI Micro Sites   Host:  Samantha Gilman   Guests:              Gianluca Lipari, Technical Leader - European Projects Coordinator, EPRI Massimo Bolognessi, Senior Electrical Design Engineer, ENEL Grids Johanna Vorwerk,  Assistant Professor, Wind and Energy Systems, Technical University of Denmark   If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com       

Podcast: EPRI CurrentEpisode: 51. Lights out! Understanding the Iberian Peninsula BlackoutPub date: 2025-05-12Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarization  More than 52 years after EPRI was born as a result of a massive North American blackout, EPRI Current host Samantha Gilman speaks with Eamonn Lannoye, Director, EPRI Europe  and Sean McGuiness Senior Technical Executive, EPRI Europe, to discuss the recent power blackout in Spain, Portugal and parts of France. The whole system went down in five seconds.  What do we know about why it happened?  What do we not yet know, and why can it take time to fully understand the root causes?  Are  observers jumping to conclusions before all the data is in? Lannoye has been a frequent contributor to international media stories about the event. He and McGuiness share their expertise on the series of events and caution about drawing conclusions too quickly. For more information about the blackout, see this recorded webinar: EPRI Webcast of Initial Findings from April 28, 2025 Iberia Blackout   If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com       The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from EPRI, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

Ep. 110: Mike Rowand, energy and electric transportation consultant, talks about his career with Duke Energy, his work with EPRI and his role as an interface between the utility and the trucking industries. He also talks what utilities need to know about trucking and about grid readiness. He explains the role of communication and collaboration and how fleets can help utilities do a better job of serving them.

  More than 52 years after EPRI was born as a result of a massive North American blackout, EPRI Current host Samantha Gilman speaks with Eamonn Lannoye, Director, EPRI Europe  and Sean McGuiness Senior Technical Executive, EPRI Europe, to discuss the recent power blackout in Spain, Portugal and parts of France. The whole system went down in five seconds.  What do we know about why it happened?  What do we not yet know, and why can it take time to fully understand the root causes?  Are  observers jumping to conclusions before all the data is in? Lannoye has been a frequent contributor to international media stories about the event. He and McGuiness share their expertise on the series of events and caution about drawing conclusions too quickly. For more information about the blackout, see this recorded webinar: EPRI Webcast of Initial Findings from April 28, 2025 Iberia Blackout   If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com       

They called the film Avengers: Infinity War the most ambitious crossover event in history. We can't quite make the same claim, but at Wood Mackenzie's 2025 Solar and Energy Storage Summit, we did record a crossover episode. Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Wood Mackenz's principal analyst for solar power and host of Interchange Recharged, is joined by Ed Crooks, host of Energy Gang, to discuss the future of energy, and of the electricity grid in particular.They are joined by Rob Chapman, Senior Vice President of Energy Delivery and Customer Solutions at the non-profit research group EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute, which aims to help power society toward a reliable, affordable, and resilient energy future. Rob talks about a key theme in his work: the importance of flexibility on the electricity grid. Increased reliance on solar and wind power has created challenges in keeping the grid balanced and the lights on. Surging demand for electricity for new data centres to train and run AI models is giving rise to a whole new set of issues. More flexible demand and supply on the grid is increasingly valuable. But where can it come from?Data centres don't usually offer a lot of flexibility in their operations. People want to use ChatGPT and watch Netflix even at night and when the wind is low. So what can the hyperscalers do to create flexibility? Are virtual power plants an effective option? And how can the energy industry improve collaboration to find solutions that promote the clean energy transition while keeping prices down?You can find Energy Gang wherever you get your podcasts, and follow Interchange Recharged with Sylvia Leyva Martinez for deep dives into the innovations that are accelerating the energy transition.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

They called the film Avengers: Infinity War the most ambitious crossover event in history. We can't quite make the same claim, but at Wood Mackenzie's 2025 Solar and Energy Storage Summit, we did record a crossover episode. Ed Crooks, host of Energy Gang, is joined by Sylvia Leyva Martinez, Wood Mackenz's principal analyst for solar power and host of Interchange Recharged, to discuss the future of energy, and of the electricity grid in particular.They are joined by Rob Chapman, Senior Vice President of Energy Delivery and Customer Solutions at the non-profit research group EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute, which aims to help power society toward a reliable, affordable, and resilient energy future. Rob talks about a key theme in his work: the importance of flexibility on the electricity grid. Increased reliance on solar and wind power has created challenges in keeping the grid balanced and the lights on. Surging demand for electricity for new data centres to train and run AI models is giving rise to a whole new set of issues. More flexible demand and supply on the grid is increasingly valuable. But where can it come from?Data centres don't usually offer a lot of flexibility in their operations. People want to use ChatGPT and watch Netflix even at night and when the wind is low. So what can the hyperscalers do to create flexibility? Are virtual power plants an effective option? And how can the energy industry improve collaboration to find solutions that promote the clean energy transition while keeping prices down?You can find Energy Gang wherever you get your podcasts, and follow Interchange Recharged with Sylvia Leyva Martinez for deep dives into the innovations that are accelerating the energy transition.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Recorded live from the show floor at DistribuTECH 2025 in Dallas, this episode of the EPRI Current examines microgrids and how utilities are using them to explore back-up power availability to improve system reliability.  Jackie Baum from EPRI and Ryan Boudreau from Hydro One networks discuss the challenges and opportunities for microgrids in local communities with host Samantha Gilman in the DistribuTECH studio.   Guests:              Jackie Baum, Sr. Manager DERMS & Microgrids, EPRI Ryan Boudreau, Sr. Manager Distribution and P&C, Hydro One Networks   Watch Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3ewkmpIrjY   If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews    EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com       

Host Samantha Gilman explores the energy innovation landscape in Europe with her guests Consuelo Fierro from National Grid, and Mark McGranaghan from EPRI. They discuss the prevalent innovation culture driven by EU and UK-funded projects, European innovation working groups and initiatives, the challenges and successes of National Grid's innovation efforts, and the transformative impact of AI on the energy sector.     Guests: Consuelo Fierro, Project Manager at Innovation Management Office, National Grid Mark McGranaghan EPRI Fellow, EPRI Europe   If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.      Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com 

Tyler Norris says regulators have been getting two different stories. On one side, they've been hearing that data centers are largely inflexible loads. On the other, last year the U.S. Department of Energy recommended data center flexibility, and EPRI launched its DCFlex initiative to demonstrate the same.  So he and a few other researchers wanted to know, What's the potential for data center flexibility? And what benefits could it have system-wide? In this episode, Shayle talks to Tyler, a PhD candidate at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and former vice president of development at Cypress Creek Renewables. In a recent study, Tyler and his co-authors found there's enough spare capacity in the existing U.S. grid to accommodate up to 98 gigawatts of new industrial load (enough for multiple Project Stargates), if that load can curtail 0.5% of annual load to avoid adding to system peaks. Shayle and Tyler unpack the study's findings, including:    How much data centers would have to curtail and how often Options for shaving peaks, like colocating or leasing generation, spatial flexibility, and deferring or front loading training runs  Speeding up interconnection if the data center is able to curtail load How bridge power could transition to peak shaving backup generation Recommended resources Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Duke University: Rethinking Load Growth: Assessing the Potential for Integration of Large Flexible Loads in US Power Systems Latitude Media: EPRI takes its data center flexibility project global Latitude Media: Who's really paying to power Big Tech's AI ambitions? Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Daniel Woldorff. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor. Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub helps utilities build next-generation virtual power plants that unlock reliable flexibility at every level of the grid. See how EnergyHub helps unlock the power of flexibility at scale, and deliver more value through cross-DER dispatch with their leading Edge DERMS platform, by visiting energyhub.com. Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the public relations and strategic marketing agency of choice for climate and energy leaders. If you're a startup, investor, or global corporation that's looking to tell your climate story, demonstrate your impact, or accelerate your growth, Antenna Group's team of industry insiders is ready to help. Learn more at antennagroup.com.

Join EPRI experts Stephanie Shaw and Lakshmi Srinivasan of EPRI's Energy Storage research area, and Southern Company's Kieran Claffey to learn how research, risk assessment and analysis continues to improve the safety of battery storage technology and operations. As battery storage energy grows across the globe, with the vast majority of deployments being lithium ion, what have we learned about the safety of battery storage as both a source and as part of a larger electric system?    Find out more about EPRI's Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Failure Incident Database, initiated in 2021. It tracks incidents involving BESS systems, providing valuable data on system age, manufacturer, chemistry, and application.    For more information: EPRI Failure Incident Database: BESS Failure Incident Database - EPRI Storage Wiki EPRI Whitepaper: Analysis of Failure Root Cause: Insights from EPRI's Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Failure Incident Database: Analysis of Failure Root Cause   Guests: Stephanie Shaw, Technical Executive, Energy Storage, EPRI Lakshmi Srinivasan, Principal Team Lead, Energy Storage, EPRI Kieran Claffey, Senior rResearch Engineer in the Research Environment and Sustainability Group of Southern Co., Industry Lead, Safety and Grid Security Tiger Team for the Long Duration Energy Storage National Consortium     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.      Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com 

The predictions are coming in hot. Data centers could grow to consume more than 9% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030, according to EPRI. That's more than double its current estimated data center load. AI will increase global data center power demand 165% by 2030, says Goldman Sachs. And billions of dollars are at stake. Utilities, megasite developers, and data center operators are all basing major decisions on predictions like these. But they're also the kinds of predictions we've seen before. In 1999, when the internet was growing fast, a couple researchers claimed it would grow to consume half of all U.S. power generation within a decade — until a team at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory debunked it. Jonathan Koomey was one of those researchers. Although today's predictions about energy usage are tamer than those in 1999, Jonathan still has questions about the current hype around AI power demand. He's is now the founder and president of Koomey Analytics, which has published multiple papers on the topic, including a recent report for the Bipartisan Policy Center: Electricity Demand Growth and Data Centers: A Guide for the Perplexed. So what are the assumptions that go into these new predictions? And how do they hold up to scrutiny? In this episode, Shayle talks to Jonathan about why he questions the hype around AI load growth predictions and why he believes energy constraints will incentivize the AI industry to focus on efficiency. Shayle and Jonathan cover topics like: The time lags and proprietary data that hinders precise data center load estimates, both in historical analyses and future predictions The difficulty of reproducing the predictions of even prominent institutions like the IEA The two basic assumptions that go into predictions: AI demand and AI power requirements Why Jonathan believes conventional wisdom relies on questionable sources, like Nvidia's business plan The unexplored areas of AI energy efficiency, like computer architecture, software improvements, algorithms, and special purpose computers Recommended resources Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: 2024 United States Data Center Energy Usage Report Nature: Will AI accelerate or delay the race to net-zero emissions? Joule: To better understand AI's growing energy use, analysts need a data revolution WSJ: Internet Hype in the '90s Stoked a Power-Generation Bubble. Could It Happen Again With AI? Open Circuit: The data center boom: ‘All the cheap power is gone' Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Daniel Woldorff. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor. Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub helps utilities build next-generation virtual power plants that unlock reliable flexibility at every level of the grid. See how EnergyHub helps unlock the power of flexibility at scale, and deliver more value through cross-DER dispatch with their leading Edge DERMS platform, by visiting energyhub.com. Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the public relations and strategic marketing agency of choice for climate and energy leaders. If you're a startup, investor, or global corporation that's looking to tell your climate story, demonstrate your impact, or accelerate your growth, Antenna Group's team of industry insiders is ready to help. Learn more at antennagroup.com.

Teach a person to fish, and they'll teach the rest of us how to innovate to preserve the species. Hydropower is one of the world's oldest low-carbon sources of electricity generation. And as long as there have been dams, there have been migrating fish needing to swim upstream past to spawn. Join EPRI Current host Samantha Gilman and her three guests as they discuss testing the new Fishheart fish passage technology in North America. Developed by fishermen in Finland, the technology was tested in North America at the Santee Cooper utility as part of a Department of Energy research project supervised by EPRI.   Links and Resources Mentioned:  EPRI Journal, “Fish Tech” January 2025: Fish Tech - EPRI Journal | EPRI Journal YouTube: “Protecting Fish at Hydropower Facilities”: V86b1hpzax-B34-WBNR-16x9-205s-YT-Charlotte-nooneseemstoknow-Multi transition July2024 Ad 2--OG   Guests: Mika Sohlberg, Co-Founder, Fishheart Michael Melchers, FERC Administrator, Santee Cooper Paul Jacobson, Technical Executive, generation sector, EPRI     If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.      Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com 

Welcome back to another episode of the Trees & Lines podcast. Ashley Bennett, Senior Research Specialist at EPRI, joins us to discuss how some utilities are using less traditional practices—like goat grazing—to manage their vegetation, how she sets up experiments to research different aspects of vegetation management techniques, and how these different strategies affect the environment. Have a listen, hope you enjoy!#Podcast #PodcastEpisode #PodcastShow #NewPodcast #PodcastLife #Podcasters #PodcastsToListenTo #PodcastCommunity #ListenNow #PodcastInterview #Utilities #EnergyIndustry #Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #ElectricPower #GridManagement #UtilityPodcast #PowerGrid #ElectricUtilities #ClimateAction #AshleyBennett #EPRI #ElectricPowerResearchInstitute #PowerInPollinators #VegetationManagement #RightOfWayManagement #Biodiversity #PollinatorConservation #EnvironmentalDNA #eDNA #SustainableEnergy #HabitatRestoration #NativePlants #WildlifeConservation #GreenTech #EcoFriendly #NatureConservation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we explore how quantum computing could help solve key fusion hurdles—from plasma control to materials engineering—bringing us closer to a commercially viable fusion reactor. Join host Samantha Gilman and EPRI experts Diana Grandas, Emma Wong, and Dr. Charlyne Smith as they discuss EPRI's work in fusion innovation, the intersection of quantum mechanics and energy research, and what's needed to push fusion from the lab to the power grid.   Also discussed: the @EPRINews 2025 Quantum Challenge Fusion Edition, an international contest aimed at finding groundbreaking quantum computing solutions for fusion technology.   Learn more at: https://aqora.io/epri-fusion-quantum-challenge-2025#about-event   If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.      Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com     

In this episode, EPRI experts examine a new corner of the energy industry: agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics is when solar PV panels are installed above crops so that the same land can be simultaneously used for energy and food production.   Learn from EPRI experts, Terry Jennings and Bailee Neary, on how EPRI is helping utilities explore this emerging practice. Plus, you'll hear an overview of agrivoltaics today, and where it may go in the future thanks to AI.   Learn more in this recent EPRI Journal article: https://eprijournal.com/a-marriage-of-sun-farmland-and-technology/   Guests: TERRY JENNINGS -  Team Leader for Environmental Aspects of Wind & Solar at EPRI, and BAILIE NEARY - Researcher for Energy Systems & Climate Analysis Group at EPRI   Learn more at EPRI.com    If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.      Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com     

Welcome to our first podcast episode of 2025. We're taking a look back at 2024 and sharing the highlights. You'll hear segments from several episodes providing insights from industry experts and addressing topics such as AI and cyber security, electrification, nuclear innovation, and the future of the energy workforce. Join us as we reflect on the best from 2024 and get ready for an exciting lineup of new EPRI Current episodes in 2025. Listen in every other week as we bring you the latest research, industry insights, and more.   2024 Guests Featured in this “Best of” Episode: Ambition into Action Series: Dan Moneghan, EPRI, Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles 24. From Emissions to Solutions: Unpacking the IRA's Impact on Climate Change Dr. John Bistline, Program Manager of EPRI's Energy Systems and Climate Analysis Group Dr. Jesse Jenkins, Assistant Professor of the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy & Environment at Princeton University 31. Practical Realities of the Clean Energy Transition Neva Espinoza, EPRI Senior Vice President, Energy Supply and Low Carbon Resources 38. Electrifying the Future of Fleets Britta Gross, EPRI Director of Transportation Diego Quevedo, Daimler Truck's Charging Infrastructure Sr. Engineer & Utilities Lead 39. AI and Generative AI: Potential Cybersecurity Impacts to the Energy Industry? Jason Hollern, EPRI Cybersecurity Technical Executive Marc Spieler, Senior Managing Director for Energy, NVIDIA 40. From Reactors to Roles: The Future of Nuclear Power Kimberly Cook-Nelson, Chief Nuclear Officer, Entergy Steve Swilley, Chief Nuclear Officer, EPRI     42. From the Gulf: Powering the Future Eng. Ahmed Ebrahim, CEO, GCCIA Daniel Brooks, EPRI Senior Vice President, Energy Delivery and Customer Solutions   Learn more at EPRI.com    If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.      Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com     

From mysterious white etching cracks to cutting-edge material innovations, Malloy Wind's expert Cory Mittleider reveals the complex world of gearbox bearing failures that plague wind turbines. Learn why traditional monitoring may not be enough and what operators need to know about the latest solutions to keep their gearboxes running reliably. Read the EPRI article Cory references: https://restservice.epri.com/publicdownload/000000003002021422/0/Product Fill out our Uptime listener survey and enter to win an Uptime mug! Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard's StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes' YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Pardalote Consulting - https://www.pardaloteconsulting.comWeather Guard Lightning Tech - www.weatherguardwind.comIntelstor - https://www.intelstor.com Register for Wind Energy O&M Australia! https://www.windaustralia.com Welcome to Uptime Spotlight, shining light on wind energy's brightest innovators. This is the progress powering tomorrow. Allen Hall: Welcome back to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast Spotlight, where we tackle the technical challenges and innovations in wind energy. I'm your host, Allen Hall, joined by my co host, Joel Saxum. We're excited to welcome back one of our most popular guests, Cory Mittleider from Malloy Wind. In his previous appearance, Cory shared his expertise on main bearing failures. And many of you reached out asking for a deep dive into gearbox bearings. Today, Cory returns to do exactly that. As Malloy's business unit manager, he and his team have diagnosed and solved countless gearbox bearing issues across different turbine platforms. Having spent over 15 years in power transmission, Cory has become a specialist in understanding why these critical components fail and, more importantly, how to prevent those failures through better bearing selection and maintenance practices. Cory, welcome to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast Spotlight. Thanks for having me again. All right, so we've got a lot of requests to hear about gearbox, bearing, and what the issues are with those bearings. Gearboxes is something I know a little bit about. But you're the expert. I hear a lot of complaining from the field. What is happening to gearbox bearings at the minute? Cory Mittleider: Sure. Gearbox bearings has been an interesting one for me. So when I started in wind in 2011, it was generator bearings and gearbox bearings is where I started learning about this stuff. A lot of the generator stuff was electrical fluting damage. That's pretty well figured out how to avoid that. The gearbox one was a little more complex than that. And I don't know if you've heard of. NREL's Drivetrain Reliability Conference that's happened for the last 12 plus years now. That's a recurring topic for the last every single year, right? Is gearbox bearing failures. A lot of the conversation that started back in the day and is still going on is around what they call white etching cracking or white etching failures. And back, in say, 11 and 12, A lot of the conversation was around was around that. It was around, the oils in the gearboxes. It was around coatings and bearing types and how they could affect the bearing itself to improve the life. And, specifically when it comes to gearbox bearings That was really hard back in the, the service providers and the operators themselves weren't used to having to replace gearbox bearings. They maybe weren't even planning on having to replace gearbox bearings, right? But they started to see these problems. They started to get their head around the scope and how to identify them early and started to dig into it.

In this EPRI Current episode, host Bill Florence is joined by experts Curtiss Fox, Nikolay Dimitrov, and Clément Jacquet, who share insights on global offshore wind development, the HIPERWIND project, and other initiatives. Discussions highlight the industry's goals, challenges, technologies, and the importance of reducing uncertainty and cost and underscores the holistic approach and integrated design required to optimize offshore wind energy for future scalability.   Guests: Dr. Curtiss Fox, Senior Technical Leader - Renewables - EPRI, Nikolay Dimitrov, Senior Scientist/Researcher - Technical University of Denmark's Department of Wind and Energy Systems Dr. Clément Jacquet, Engineer/Scientist, EPRI      Learn more about HIPERWIND: https://europe.epri.com/project/hiperwind      If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.      Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com   

In this EPRI Current podcast episode, host Samantha Gilman speaks with the head of the GCCIA, Eng. Ahmed Ebrahim and EPRI's SVP Daniel Brooks to discuss how the two organizations are collaborating to bring the needed research, insights, and technologies to the Gulf and to the broader energy global energy sector.     Recorded on-site at “Powering the Future Toward Net Zero” forum in Dammam, Saudi Arabia hosted by EPRI, GCCIA, GO15 and MED-TSO, guests discuss global collaboration and the future of energy. The theme of the forum centered around the need for cooperation and transformation to meet net zero challenges head on, and to bring regional learnings to the broader global energy sector.     Links: Event Livestream Day One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmlaLktJbOg Event Livestream Day Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLsxuKmadmc       If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.      Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com 

Europe is leading the way in citizen-driven energy transformation. Through new projects like @ENPOWER, #CreteValley, and #EUDream, Europeans are exploring new ways to take charge of their energy use. These EU-funded projects are designed to empower local communities to produce and manage clean energy, aiming for an inclusive, resilient energy transition.   In the newest EPRI Current podcast episode, host @BillFlorence speaks with @EleniKanellou @Dr_Julia_Blanke and @Mário_Teixeira_Couto about their work in energy democratization and understanding what may motivate and influence private citizens to better align and optimize their energy consumption with the needs of the grid and overall energy system.   Host: Bill Florence Guests: ELENI KANELLOU, Postdoctoral Research Collaborator at ICS-FORTH, JULIA BLANKE, Sr. Researcher - Psychology & Social Behaviour Science, MARIO COUTO, Senior Technical Leader at EPRI Europe    If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.      Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com 

In this celebration of Nuclear Science Week, we invited two chief nuclear officers to chat about what inspired their interest in the nuclear industry, their career paths, opportunities for people to join, and the how the industry is rising to the challenge of increasing demand for carbon-free nuclear power. Tune in to hear about the opportunities available for people in the industry with and without college degrees from engineers to radiation protection technicians to security officers to operators.     Guests: Kimberly Cook-Nelson, Chief Nuclear Officer, Entergy Steve Swilley, Chief Nuclear Officer, EPRI  Links and resources:  https://www.epri.com/research/sectors/nuclear Entergy Nuclear | We power life. https://www.nei.org/advantages/jobs https://getintoenergy.org/careers-in-nuclear/   If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.      Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com 

Welcome to The Hydrogen Podcast!Episode 357, In this episode, Paul discusses the development of a green steel plant in Minnesota, supported by DOE funding, and the Electric Power Research Institute's real-world findings from hydrogen-natural gas blending demonstration projects. He explores how these projects are shaping the future of hydrogen safety, decarbonization, and clean energy transitions.Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy the podcast. Please feel free to email me at info@thehydrogenpodcast.com with any questions. Also, if you wouldn't mind subscribing to my podcast using your preferred platform... I would greatly appreciate it. Respectfully,Paul RoddenVISIT THE HYDROGEN PODCAST WEBSITEhttps://thehydrogenpodcast.comDEMO THE H2 ADVANTAGEhttps://keyhydrogen.com/hydrogen-location-analytics-software/ CHECK OUT OUR BLOGhttps://thehydrogenpodcast.com/blog/WANT TO SPONSOR THE PODCAST? Send us an email to: info@thehydrogenpodcast.comNEW TO HYDROGEN AND NEED A QUICK INTRODUCTION?Start Here: The 6 Main Colors of HydrogenSupport the show

AI and generative AI are transforming the energy industry but also bringing new cybersecurity challenges. In the newest EPRI Current podcast episode, experts from EPRI and NVIDIA discuss AI's benefits and ways to combat potential cybersecurity threats to critical energy infrastructure.   Guests: Jason Hollern, EPRI cybersecurity technical executive, and Marc Spieler, Senior Managing Director for Energy with NVIDIA.   Links and Resources: Artificial Intelligence and Generative AI in the Energy Sector: Cyber Security Use-Cases, Considerations, and Implications https://www.epri.com/research/products/000000003002029821    If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.      Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com 

Join EPRI Current host, Samantha Gilman, and guests Britta Gross, EPRI's Director of Transportation, and Daimler Truck's Diego Quevedo, Charging Infrastructure Sr. Engineer & Utilities Lead, as they discuss the status of electric transportation in the fleet industry and how the grid is preparing for the increased demand and interconnection. Hear what Daimler Truck is trying to accomplish by 2030 and what the challenges they're seeing with fleet adoption .And what are the challenges, and opportunities, as the electric industry prepares for grid readiness. Also, tune in to hear more about EPRI's EVs2Scale2030 eRoadMAP tool released late last year to show where and when EV loads would likely be appearing on the grid.   Guests: Britta Gross, EPRI's Director of Transportation & Diego Quevedo, Daimler Truck's Charging Infrastructure Sr. Engineer & Utilities Lead   Diego Quevedo supports customers with ongoing infrastructure projects with their local utility and works with utilities and regulators to enable long term proactive capacity addition plans, having worked in heavy-duty transportation industry for more than 15 years.   Britta Gross leads EPRI's transportation research and the EVs2Scale2030. Britta was formerly the Director of Advanced Vehicle Commercialization at General Motors and President of the Orlando Utilities Commission, Orlando's electric and water utility.   Links and Resources: EPRI's EVs2Scale2030™ initiative https://msites.epri.com/evs2scale2030 eRoadMAP™ https://eroadmap.epri.com/   If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe and share! And please consider leaving a review and rating on Apple Podcasts/iTunes.    Follow EPRI: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/epri/  Twitter https://twitter.com/EPRINews      EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting the energy transition. Each episode features insights from EPRI, the world's preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization, and from other energy industry leaders. We also discuss how innovative technologies are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com 

FINALLY, someone who actually understands our crazy-complicated electric bills! His name is Dr. Ahmad Faruqui. I'm delighted to have Ahmad join me on this week's Energy Show to talk about energy policy -- with a particular focus on why the heck our electric bills keep going up when it's so inexpensive to generate power with solar and wind. It helps to have a PhD in economics, as Ahmad has from UC Davis. He started his energy policy career at the California Energy Commission, and then went over to the Dark Side at EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute, after which he worked at the Brattle Group on energy consumer policies. So he understands the economic theories as well as the realities of the electric utility industry. New energy technologies, such as rooftop solar and batteries, have disrupted the 120-year old utility industry. Please tune into this week's energy show at www.energyshow.biz for an expert's view on how these technologies should best be deployed to provide affordable and reliable electricity for everyone.