PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 04, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Electric Power Research Institute’s (EPRI) Incubatenergy® Network today announced “Incubatenergy Labs,” a program that connects startups with utilities to identify, prioritize, and demonstrate solutions addressing challenges common among electric power utilities.
Incubatenergy Labs seeks solutions that address customer engagement, digitalization, distributed energy resource integration, workforce of the future, electric mobility, and customer and community resilience. Incubatenergy Labs will also accept applications in an open category for solutions that fall outside of these topic areas.
“The rapid pace of innovation in the electric power sector has resulted in a growing number of startups that strive to provide utility customers with solutions enabling them to decarbonize, digitize, and manage their energy use while maintaining system quality and grid reliability,” said Erik Steeb, who leads the Incubatenergy Network and Labs program for EPRI. “Incubatenergy Labs connects electric utilities with startups aiming to address challenges and opportunities in the rapidly changing energy sector. We are doing this in ways that enable us to learn quickly, share results widely, and cost-effectively speed the deployment of new technologies.”
Startups must apply online to pitch their proposal to a group of utilities at EPRI’s Electrification 2020 conference in Charlotte, N.C. April 6-8. Startups selected during the event will work with EPRI and the utilities to scope and execute a pilot project within the service area of a participating utility. Later, they will share their findings with other participants. This collaborative approach expands the reach for the startups’ pilots, provides higher returns on investments for the utilities, and increases the value of the projects for all participants.
Incubatenergy Labs completed its first round of projects and demonstrations earlier in the year, under the title “IlluminationLAB,” a collaborative effort of EPRI, American Electric Power (AEP), and other utilities. The first-round participants included EPRI, American Electric Power, Ameren, Consolidated Edison of New York, Nebraska Public Power District, the New York Power Authority, Salt River Project, and TVA. Joining the program for 2020 are Portland General Electric, Southern California Edison, and Xcel Energy.
Applications for Incubatenergy Labs will be accepted until Jan. 17, 2020. For more information, please visit Labs.incubatenergy.org.
About EPRI
The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI, www.epri.com) conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An independent, nonprofit organization, EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, affordability, health, safety and the environment. EPRI members represent 90% of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States with international participation extending to 40 countries. EPRI’s principal offices and laboratories are located in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Dallas, Texas; Lenox, Mass.; and Washington, D.C.