EPRI’s R&D ResourcesDavid PorterDirector, US Accounts

PublicPower.org/Academy

Why Invest in R&D?

Technology is a Great Enabler

R&D Accelerates Deployment of Technology

Collaboration Helps Manage 

Risk of Technology Development

Technology is Integral to Industry 

Transformation

What Work is Important to Public Power & Associated Communities?

© 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

Heating and cooling

Refrigeration

Cell phones and internet

Perished goods and lost sales

Diminished worker hours and income

Air Force photo by Capt. Christopher Merian in Puerto Rico

Fire and law enforcement

Rescue operations

Medical services/medicine

Preserve Quality of Life Minimize Economic Impacts Maintain Emergency Services

Increasing Customer Resilience

© 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

High‐Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse• Created by detonation of a

nuclear weapon at high-altitude or in space

• E1 EMP: Early-time Pulse• Large geographic coverage (line of

sight from detonation)

• Potential impacts to electronics, insulation flashover

• E2 EMP: Intermediate-time Pulse • Effects similar to nearby lightning

strike

• No bulk-power system impacts expected

• E3 EMP: Late-time Pulse• Similar to severe GMD event

E1 EMP

E3 EMP

© 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

EPRI EMP Research Program• Initial research focused on

switchyards, lines, and substations (Transmission)

• Answered two important questions:• What are the potential impacts of

HEMP on the Transmission system?

• If impacts are significant concern, can they be mitigated in cost-effective ways?

• Next Steps• Field applications of shielding

• New work on Generation assets

Research Work Flow

© 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

Advanced Energy Communities: Customer-Utility Marriage

• Community scale integration of multiple customer resources

• Efficiency, distributed resources, storage, EV’s, demand response

• Drives larger societal & utility goals

• Decarbonization, grid hardening, grid support

• Broad applicability

• New build, retrofit

• Single family, multi-family, low income

• Zero net energy

© 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrification: A Greater FutureEvents in 2019 - 2020

Ease of Access:  Solutions Focused Packages

“Blue Apron” Approach• Packaging smaller bites of EPRI

• Pilot is on solar activities

• Generation, design, integration, operations, etc.

• Accessible by the public

• Plan to expand with interest

Ease of access, packaged results, broad utility appeal© 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

EPRI Learning Resources• Aging Management

• 1 video• Distributed Energy Resources

• 3 videos• Engineering Fundamentals

• 7 CBT’s• Plant Engineering

• 3 CBT’s• Probability Risk Assessment

• 3 CBT’s

Educating Power Engineers for a Future Distribution Grid

© 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

EPRI Resources Available to the Public

www.epri.com© 2019 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrification Newsletter

Together…Shaping the Future of Electricity