EPRI Current

51. Lights out! Understanding the Iberian Peninsula Blackout

 
More than 52 years after EPRI was born as a result of a massive North American blackout, EPRI Current host Samantha Gilman speaks with Eamonn Lannoye, Director, EPRI Europe  and Sean McGuiness Senior Technical Executive, EPRI Europe, to discuss the recent power blackout in Spain, Portugal and parts of France. The whole system went down in five seconds.  What do we know about why it happened?  What do we not yet know, and why can it take time to fully understand the root causes?  Are  observers jumping to conclusions before all the data is in? Lannoye has been a frequent contributor to international media stories about the event. He and McGuiness share their expertise on the series of events and caution about drawing conclusions too quickly.
For more information about the blackout, see this recorded webinar:
EPRI Webcast of Initial Findings from April 28, 2025 Iberia Blackout
 
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/ 
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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 
 
 
 

50. We’re at DistribuTECH Talking Microgrids!

Recorded live from the show floor at DistribuTECH 2025 in Dallas, this episode of the EPRI Current examines microgrids and how utilities are using them to explore back-up power availability to improve system reliability.  Jackie Baum from EPRI and Ryan Boudreau from Hydro One networks discuss the challenges and opportunities for microgrids in local communities with host Samantha Gilman in the DistribuTECH studio.
 
Guests:             
Jackie Baum, Sr. Manager DERMS & Microgrids, EPRI
Ryan Boudreau, Sr. Manager Distribution and P&C, Hydro One Networks
 
Watch Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3ewkmpIrjY
 
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 
 
 
 

49. Powering Europe’s Future: Innovation Through Collaboration

Host Samantha Gilman explores the energy innovation landscape in Europe with her guests Consuelo Fierro from National Grid, and Mark McGranaghan from EPRI. They discuss the prevalent innovation culture driven by EU and UK-funded projects, European innovation working groups and initiatives, the challenges and successes of National Grid's innovation efforts, and the transformative impact of AI on the energy sector.
 
 
Guests:
Consuelo Fierro, Project Manager at Innovation Management Office, National Grid
Mark McGranaghan EPRI Fellow, EPRI Europe
 
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 

48. Battery Energy Storage Safety: From Cells to Systems

Join EPRI experts Stephanie Shaw and Lakshmi Srinivasan of EPRI’s Energy Storage research area, and Southern Company’s Kieran Claffey to learn how research, risk assessment and analysis continues to improve the safety of battery storage technology and operations. As battery storage energy grows across the globe, with the vast majority of deployments being lithium ion, what have we learned about the safety of battery storage as both a source and as part of a larger electric system? 
 
Find out more about EPRI’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Failure Incident Database, initiated in 2021. It tracks incidents involving BESS systems, providing valuable data on system age, manufacturer, chemistry, and application. 
 
For more information:
EPRI Failure Incident Database: BESS Failure Incident Database - EPRI Storage Wiki
EPRI Whitepaper: Analysis of Failure Root Cause: Insights from EPRI’s Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Failure Incident Database: Analysis of Failure Root Cause
 
Guests:
Stephanie Shaw, Technical Executive, Energy Storage, EPRI
Lakshmi Srinivasan, Principal Team Lead, Energy Storage, EPRI
Kieran Claffey, Senior rResearch Engineer in the Research Environment and Sustainability Group of Southern Co., Industry Lead, Safety and Grid Security Tiger Team for the Long Duration Energy Storage National Consortium
 
 
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 

47. Just Keep Swimming: New Tech Enables Fish Migration at Hydro Dams

Teach a person to fish, and they’ll teach the rest of us how to innovate to preserve the species. Hydropower is one of the world’s oldest low-carbon sources of electricity generation. And as long as there have been dams, there have been migrating fish needing to swim upstream past to spawn. Join EPRI Current host Samantha Gilman and her three guests as they discuss testing the new Fishheart fish passage technology in North America. Developed by fishermen in Finland, the technology was tested in North America at the Santee Cooper utility as part of a Department of Energy research project supervised by EPRI.
 
Links and Resources Mentioned: 
EPRI Journal, “Fish Tech” January 2025: Fish Tech - EPRI Journal | EPRI Journal
YouTube: “Protecting Fish at Hydropower Facilities”: V86b1hpzax-B34-WBNR-16x9-205s-YT-Charlotte-nooneseemstoknow-Multi transition July2024 Ad 2--OG
 
Guests:
Mika Sohlberg, Co-Founder, Fishheart
Michael Melchers, FERC Administrator, Santee Cooper
Paul Jacobson, Technical Executive, generation sector, EPRI
 
 
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 

46. The Quantum Challenge: Pioneering Fusion Technology

In this episode we explore how quantum computing could help solve key fusion hurdles—from plasma control to materials engineering—bringing us closer to a commercially viable fusion reactor.
Join host Samantha Gilman and EPRI experts Diana Grandas, Emma Wong, and Dr. Charlyne Smith as they discuss EPRI’s work in fusion innovation, the intersection of quantum mechanics and energy research, and what’s needed to push fusion from the lab to the power grid.
 
Also discussed: the @EPRINews 2025 Quantum Challenge Fusion Edition, an international contest aimed at finding groundbreaking quantum computing solutions for fusion technology.
 
Learn more at: https://aqora.io/epri-fusion-quantum-challenge-2025#about-event
 
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 
 
 

45. Harvesting Energy and Crops: Exploring Agrivoltaics

In this episode, EPRI experts examine a new corner of the energy industry: agrivoltaics. Agrivoltaics is when solar PV panels are installed above crops so that the same land can be simultaneously used for energy and food production.
 
Learn from EPRI experts, Terry Jennings and Bailie Neary, on how EPRI is helping utilities explore this emerging practice. Plus, you’ll hear an overview of agrivoltaics today, and where it may go in the future thanks to AI.
 
Learn more in this recent EPRI Journal article: https://eprijournal.com/a-marriage-of-sun-farmland-and-technology/
 
Guests: TERRY JENNINGS -  Team Leader for Environmental Aspects of Wind & Solar at EPRI, and  BAILIE NEARY - Researcher for Energy Systems & Climate Analysis Group at EPRI
 
Learn more at 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 
 
 

44. Best of 2024: From AI to Electric Trucks

Welcome to our first podcast episode of 2025. We’re taking a look back at 2024 and sharing the highlights. You’ll hear segments from several episodes providing insights from industry experts and addressing topics such as AI and cyber security, electrification, nuclear innovation, and the future of the energy workforce. Join us as we reflect on the best from 2024 and get ready for an exciting lineup of new EPRI Current episodes in 2025. Listen in every other week as we bring you the latest research, industry insights, and more.
 
2024 Guests Featured in this “Best of” Episode:
Ambition into Action Series:
Dan Moneghan, EPRI, Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles
24. From Emissions to Solutions: Unpacking the IRA’s Impact on Climate Change
Dr. John Bistline, Program Manager of EPRI’s Energy Systems and Climate Analysis Group
Dr. Jesse Jenkins, Assistant Professor of the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy & Environment at Princeton University
31. Practical Realities of the Clean Energy Transition
Neva Espinoza, EPRI Senior Vice President, Energy Supply and Low Carbon Resources
38. Electrifying the Future of Fleets
Britta Gross, EPRI Director of Transportation
Diego Quevedo, Daimler Truck’s Charging Infrastructure Sr. Engineer & Utilities Lead
39. AI and Generative AI: Potential Cybersecurity Impacts to the Energy Industry?
Jason Hollern, EPRI Cybersecurity Technical ExecutiveMarc Spieler, Senior Managing Director for Energy, NVIDIA
40. From Reactors to Roles: The Future of Nuclear Power
Kimberly Cook-Nelson, Chief Nuclear Officer, Entergy
Steve Swilley, Chief Nuclear Officer, EPRI    
42. From the Gulf: Powering the Future
Eng. Ahmed Ebrahim, CEO, GCCIA
Daniel Brooks, EPRI Senior Vice President, Energy Delivery and Customer Solutions
 
Learn more at 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 
 
 

43. Harnessing the Wind: The Future of Offshore Energy

In this EPRI Current episode, host Bill Florence is joined by experts Curtiss Fox, Nikolay Dimitrov, and Clément Jacquet, who share insights on global offshore wind development, the HIPERWIND project, and other initiatives. Discussions highlight the industry’s goals, challenges, technologies, and the importance of reducing uncertainty and cost and underscores the holistic approach and integrated design required to optimize offshore wind energy for future scalability.
 
Guests:
Dr. Curtiss Fox, Senior Technical Leader - Renewables - EPRI,
Nikolay Dimitrov, Senior Scientist/Researcher - Technical University of Denmark's Department of Wind and Energy Systems
Dr. Clément Jacquet, Engineer/Scientist, EPRI 
 
 
Learn more about HIPERWIND: https://europe.epri.com/project/hiperwind 
 
 
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 
 

42. From the Gulf: Powering the Future

In this EPRI Current podcast episode, host Samantha Gilman speaks with the head of the GCCIA, Eng. Ahmed Ebrahim and EPRI’s SVP Daniel Brooks to discuss how the two organizations are collaborating to bring the needed research, insights, and technologies to the Gulf and to the broader energy global energy sector.
 
 
Recorded on-site at “Powering the Future Toward Net Zero” forum in Dammam, Saudi Arabia hosted by EPRI, GCCIA, GO15 and MED-TSO, guests discuss global collaboration and the future of energy. The theme of the forum centered around the need for cooperation and transformation to meet net zero challenges head on, and to bring regional learnings to the broader global energy sector.
 
 
Links:
Event Livestream Day One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmlaLktJbOg
Event Livestream Day Two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLsxuKmadmc
 
 
 
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