The past 12 months have been a whirlwind for EPRI. From launching an initiative addressing energy resilience to speaking at COP27 about numerous EPRI-led research initiatives, and celebrating EPRI’s 50th anniversary this year, 2022 has been quite a journey. Collaboration is at the heart of who we are and what we do. If society is to have a reliable, affordable, and equitable clean energy transformation, it will require all of us collectively working together, sharing best practices along the way.
Among EPRI’s highlights for the year:
- Throughout the year, EPRI celebrated its 50th anniversary. In 1972, two years after the Environmental Protection Agency was founded and five years before the Department of Energy was created, Congress, state governments and public and private utilities came together to create an independent collaborative research and development (R&D) organization to address significant electricity challenges: EPRI. Throughout the decades, EPRI has been involved in collaborative research efforts across fundamental issues of resilience, reliability, digitalization, and decarbonization. Celebrating the anniversary, EPRI created videos highlighting memorable projects, as well as the impact EPRI may have during the next 50 years.
- In 2022, EPRI collaborated with startups and energy providers in demonstration projects as part of Incubatenergy Labs (IEL). The program links startup companies leading the advancement of electrification, decarbonization and grid modernization with energy providers from around the world that have the capacity and desire to demonstrate and scale those innovations. In 2022, IEL selected, scoped, contracted, and ran 20 outstanding global projects with 17 energy providers and 15 promising technology providers/innovators.
- In February, the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative (LCRI), a global collaborative led by EPRI and GTI Energy, surpassed 50 members. LCRI aims to advance global, economy-wide deep decarbonization beyond 2030. Throughout the year, also EPRI collaborated with several LCRI partners—including GE, Mitsubishi, Southern Company, New York Power Authority, and WEC Energy Group—on demonstration projects which tested hydrogen blends in natural gas turbines.
- In April, EPRI launched Climate READi (REsilience and ADaptation initiative), a collaborative, three-year effort to address physical climate risk assessment. Climate READi will enable global energy companies, climate scientists, regulators, and other stakeholders to proactively analyze and apply climate data, allowing for the planning, design, and operation of resilient energy systems of the future. There are currently 35 energy provider members, in addition to NOAA, NERC, NARUC, environmental groups and financial institutions among partners. Additionally, in August EPRI signed a memorandum of understanding with NOAA, focused on developing a scientific approach to physical climate risk assessment in the energy sector.
- In May, EPRI launched its Nuclear in District Energy Applications (Nuldea) Initiative, supporting the use of nuclear power in district energy systems. In collaboration with the International District Energy Association, Nuclear Energy Institute, Constellation, Duke Energy, and other organizations, the initiative aims to develop a roadmap to determine the nuclear-related technical, regulatory, and policy challenges associated with district energy. The new program, part of EPRI’s Nuclear Beyond Electricity initiative, has the goal of promoting microreactors (up to 10 MW) for heating, cooling, and power applications in institutional settings by 2026.
- In June, EPRI held its annual electrification conference and expo in Charlotte, N.C. The event convened stakeholders and thought leaders from the energy, industry, building, and transportation sectors for collaborative conversations on how to build a net-zero future for all. The event had more than 200 speakers, and attendance by 115 exhibitors, 50+ sponsors and supporting organizations, and 1,500 energy stakeholders.
- In November, nearly 50,000 people, including world leaders from nearly 200 countries, attended COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, with millions more watching online. For the second consecutive year, EPRI senior leadership attended the annual climate conference, with President and CEO Arshad Mansoor and Vice President of Corporate Affairs Katie Jereza speaking on a combined 14 panels. In remarks, EPRI shared progress on numerous collaborative initiatives, including Climate READi, LCRI, and an industrial clusters program with World Economic Forum and Accenture. EPRI also highlighted a recent net-zero analysis which found that optionality is key in meeting an affordable, reliable, and equitable clean energy future.
EPRI accomplished these and many other milestones in 2022, and we expect 2023 to be even brighter. We look forward to the next 12 months and what can be accomplished along the way.