EPRI Current

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 existing infrastructure and accommodate rapidly growing loads. The discussion dives into PGE’s “growth pays for growth” approach, innovative rate structures, and the role customers play in funding grid expansion, while also exploring regional market coordination, renewable integration in the Pacific Northwest, and what today’s surge in data centers signals for long‑term grid planning.
 
 
In EPRI’s Take, host Samantha Gilman meets with David Porter, VP for Electrification & Sustainable Energy Strategy and executive lead for EPRI’s DCFlex initiative, about how data centers and other large loads can support grid reliability. David highlights three key flexibility opportunities at data centers – shifting compute workloads, optimizing auxiliary systems, and using backup generation and energy storage to manage peaks. The conversation also looks ahead, emphasizing the flexibility of demand across all electrified loads and the growing role of transportation electrification as a shared grid resource.
 
Learn more about DCFlex: https://dcflex.epri.com/
 
 

For more information and episodes visit EPRI.com.
 

 

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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 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 a resilient energy future.
 
 
The discussion unpacks what it really takes to extend plant lifetimes to 60 years, 80 years, and possibly beyond – and why continued investment, modernization, and rigorous regulatory oversight keep plants safe and increasingly reliable. The experts tackle common misconceptions about aging plants, explain how modernization and digital upgrades support round-the-clock power, and highlight LTO’s role in meeting rapidly growing load while maintaining a skilled workforce. Together, they spotlight why long-term nuclear operation remains one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to deliver dependable, carbon-free energy at scale.
 
 
To learn more about Nuclear Power Plant Long-Term Operations, visit: https://lto.epri.com/LTO
 
To learn more about Duke Energy's nuclear fleet, visit: https://news.duke-energy.com/releases/duke-energy-nuclear-fleet-sets-new-all-time-reliability-record-delivers-value-for-customers#:~:text=Record%20capacity%20factor%20of%2096.9,directly%20supporting%20growing%20energy%20needs.
 

 

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

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
 
 
Commission, and a member of EPRI's Advisory Council, to explore how state regulators are navigating rapid changes to the electric grid. Rendahl discusses the sharp rise in electricity demand and its implications for rates, infrastructure investment, and long-term reliability. They also discuss how regulators are working to protect customers from stranded costs, balance an evolving generation mix, and manage growing risks from wildfires, cybersecurity threats, and climate impacts on hydropower.
 
To get EPRI’s Take, host Samantha Gilman speaks with Morgan Scott, EPRI’s VP of Global Outreach Partnerships, about where innovation is most urgently needed as electricity demand accelerates. Scott highlights the increasing load data centers could account for by 2030 and explains why meeting that challenge will require advances in generation, grid-enhancing technologies, and flexibility at both the customer and data center levels. She also reframes the conversation around affordability – distinguishing the rising cost of electricity from its growing value within the broader “energy wallet” for consumers.
 

 

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 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 EV experience, they reflect on key shifts observed in 2025, from evolving market behavior to the transition from pilot projects to large-scale deployments.
 
The conversation highlights why interest in fleet electrification remains strong, even amid broader industry uncertainty, and examines how EV load growth could eventually outpace data center demand. Mike and Watson also break down EPRI’s latest EVs2Scale planning tools – eRoadMap and GridFAST – and discuss how these resources equip utilities to plan confidently for an increasingly electric transportation future.
 

Learn more about GridFAST: https://www.gridfast.com/about
Learn more about 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

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 extending the life of Diablo Canyon, the conversation highlights how flexibility and innovation are critical for reliability. Elliot shares insights on the growing role of demand response, virtual power plants, and customer engagement in preparing for rapid spikes in energy use. This discussion underscores why adaptive strategies are essential as electrification and climate extremes reshape grid operations.

 
 
To get EPRI’s Take, Samantha Gilman meets with Eamonn Lannoye, Director of EPRI Europe, to discuss similar trends across global markets and the importance of regional cooperation for reliability. They explore expanding transmission needs, advances in higher‑voltage and HVDC systems, and the push to optimize existing grid capacity through grid-enhancing technologies, including EPRI’s GET SET initiative.

 
 

 

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