EPRI Current

EPRI Current

EPRI Current examines key issues and new R&D impacting how the world makes, moves, and uses energy. Each episode features insights from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the world’s preeminent independent, non-profit energy research and development organization. Episodes also feature the practical expertise of energy industry leaders on a variety of topics and technologies that are shaping the global energy future. Learn more at www.epri.com

Episodes

79. From Home Appliance to Grid Asset: The Evolution of Heat Pumps

October 9, 2026 • 25 mins

Heat pumps have become one of the most widely discussed technologies for home efficiency and electrification, but their next evolution may be even more transformative. In this week's episode of EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman is joined by EPRI's Ron Domitrovic and Carrier Energy's Timothy Watts to discuss the next generation of heat pumps and their potential to support both homeowners and the grid.

The discussion explores how t...

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78. Building a Climate-Ready Grid: Strategies, Technologies, and Investments for a More Resilient Future

September 23, 2026 • 25 mins
This week on the EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman sits down with Morgan Scott, EPRI Vice President of Electrification and Sustainable Energy Strategy, and Faith Davis, who leads Exelon's Climate Change Investment Initiative (2c2i), to discuss how the utility industry is adapting to a rapidly changing landscape.     Together, they explore lessons learned from climate resilience efforts, emerging technologies attracting i...
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77. Beyond the Drone: How Robotics Are Transforming the Grid

September 9, 2026 • 24 mins
How are robotics, drones, and AI reshaping utility operations? In this episode of EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman speaks with EPRI's Dexter Lewis and Ameren's James Pierce about the growing role of robotics in electric utility inspections, the evolution of drone programs, and the opportunities and challenges ahead as utilities embrace more autonomous operations.     From robotic dogs and underwater inspection vehicles ...
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76. Extreme Heat and the Future of Nuclear Reliability

August 26, 2026 • 21 mins
What do rising river temperatures, lower water levels, and jellyfish have in common? They're all emerging challenges for nuclear power plant operations. In this episode of EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman is joined by EPRI experts Kurt Crytzer and Jonathan Black to explore how extreme heat is reshaping nuclear plant operations in Europe and beyond, and why water is one of the industry's most critical resources.    ...
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    75. How Could Data Center Growth Affect Future Electricity Costs?

    July 21, 2026 • 30 mins
    This week on the EPRI Current, we explore one of the energy sector’s most recently debated questions: Are data centers driving up electricity rates?     Host Samantha Gilman is joined by Geoff Blanford and Asa Watten of EPRI’s Energy Systems and Climate Analysis team to discuss new research examining the relationship between data center growth and consumer electricity costs. Drawing on a decade of data, t...

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    74. What a “Super El Niño” Could Mean for the Power Sector

    June 18, 2026 • 20 mins
    A potential “super El Niño” is making headlines, and for the power sector, it comes with real implications. In this episode of The EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman speaks with EPRI climate scientist Erik Smith about what’s driving the latest forecasts and how changing ocean conditions could shape weather patterns in the months ahead.   From increased precipitation in California to drought risk in the...
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    73. Defining Flexibility: How Flex MOSAIC™ Creates a Shared Language for the Grid

    June 3, 2026 • 32 mins
    In this week’s episode of the EPRI Current, Dave Weaver from Exelon, Clift Pompee from Compass Datacenters, and Anuja Ratnayake from EPRI join host Samantha Gilman to discuss how new approaches to flexibility can accelerate grid connections amid surging demand.   Experts focus on EPRI’s recently launched Flex MOSAIC™, a framework developed through EPRI’s DCFlex initiative to define what flexibility means...
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    72. Micro Data Centers and the Evolution of AI Infrastructure

    May 20, 2026 • 25 mins
    In this episode of the EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman speaks with EPRI’s Director of Agentic AI and Micro Data Centers, Ben Sooter, about the growing role of distributed inference, also known as micro data centers, in the evolving AI landscape. While large, centralized data centers dominate current discussions, Sooter explains why the next wave of compute demand will shift closer to end users to support faster, laten...
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    71. Beyond the Benchmark: Evaluating AI for Real‑World Use

    May 5, 2026 • 30 mins
    How should organizations interpret AI benchmarks – and where do they fall short when moving from pilots to real‑world deployment?     In this episode of EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman is joined by Jaime Sevilla, Director of Epoch AI, and Apurba Sakti, EPRI Principal Technical Leader for AI, for a deep dive into AI benchmarking and responsible adoption. The conversation explores why strong benchmark scores d...
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    70. The Power of GETs: Unlocking Hidden Grid Capacity

    April 21, 2026 • 23 mins
    Grid Enhancing Technologies (GETs) are gaining momentum as a practical way to maximize the efficiency and capacity of existing transmission lines. Designed to improve how the grid is monitored, managed, and operated, GETs are increasingly seen as a practical solution to growing demand, congestion, and reliability challenges.     In this episode of EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman is joined by EPRI’s Anna Lafo...
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    69. How Europe Is Preparing AI for Real‑World Grid Operations

    April 9, 2026 • 25 mins
    Europe is accelerating the use of artificial intelligence across the energy sector – but how can utilities adopt AI safely, securely, and at scale? In this episode of EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman continues the AI-EFFECT series with a discussion exploring three of the European Union’s Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEF) projects: AI-EFFECT, EnergyGuard, and EnerTEF.     Guests Adrian Kelly f...
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    Grid Talk Series on the EPRI Current: Grid Growth in the Age of Data Centers and Electrification

    March 25, 2026 • 31 mins
    In the final episode of the Grid Talk Series on the EPRI Current, Maria Pope, President and CEO of Portland General Electric, joins Marty Rosenberg for a wide‑ranging conversation on how utilities are responding to historic demand growth without compromising reliability or affordability. Maria shares how PGE is using advanced analytics, grid-enhancing technologies, and large-scale battery storage to unlock new capacity from existin...
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    68. In It for the Long Haul: Nuclear LTO in a High-Demand Era

    March 10, 2026 • 20 mins
    The long-term operation (LTO) of existing nuclear plants is emerging as a critical strategy for delivering reliable, carbon-free power as electricity demand accelerates across the economy. In this episode of EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman is joined by Rounette Nader, VP of New Nuclear Generation and License Renewal at Duke Energy, and EPRI’s Rob Austin, Senior Program Manager for Nuclear, to explore how LTO supports ...
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    Grid Talk Series – How Fast Can the Grid Adapt to Rising Demand — And At What Cost?

    February 25, 2026 • 35 mins
    Surging electricity demand is pushing the grid to its limits, prompting regulators and innovators to expand the system without sacrificing reliability or affordability. In this episode of the Grid Talk Series on The EPRI Current, Marty Rosenberg meets with Ann Rendahl, President of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), a commissioner with the Washington Utilities and Transportation   &...
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    67. From Pilots to Scale: Inside the Future of Fleet Electrification

    February 10, 2026 • 29 mins
    As medium‑ and heavy-duty electric vehicles move rapidly from pilots to scaled deployments, utilities are navigating new pressures, opportunities, and load implications across their systems. In this episode of The EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman meets with EPRI electric transportation experts Mike Rowand and Watson Collins to explore what 2026 has in store for fleet electrification. Drawing on decades of utility experience and E...
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    Grid Talk Series – Navigating Grid Stress in an Era of Increasing Demand

    January 26, 2026 • 38 mins
    In this episode of the Grid Talk Series on the EPRI Current, Marty Rosenberg sits down with Elliot Mainzer, President and CEO of the California ISO, to discuss how the state navigates extreme grid stress during record-breaking demand. Elliot reflects on California’s all-time peak of 52,000 megawatts during a historic heatwave and the extraordinary measures taken to keep the lights on. From emergency load reduction programs to...
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    66. Best of 2025: Conversations Shaping the Future of Energy

    January 7, 2026 • 22 mins
    Welcome to our first podcast episode of 2026! In this Best of 2025 episode, we’re looking back at some of our most impactful conversations from the past year. You’ll hear highlights from episodes exploring how the energy sector is navigating rapid change – from the launch of the Open Power AI Consortium (OPAI) and efforts to responsibly scale AI, to global lessons learned from the Iberian Peninsula blackout. We&rs...
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    Grid Talk Series – Unlocking the Power of DER for a Flexible Future

    December 19, 2025 • 38 mins
    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...
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    65. Exploring the AI-EFFECT on Europe’s Energy Future

    December 12, 2025 • 24 mins
    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, e...
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    Grid Talk Series – Meeting Surging Energy Demand with Innovation and Resilience

    November 18, 2025 • 36 mins

    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 mor...

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