Welcome to EPRI Current – your go-to source for the latest in energy innovation, research, and insights.
Your host, Samantha Gilman, meets with EPRI experts and industry leaders to unpack the energy sector’s most pressing challenges and promising opportunities. Through timely and thought-provoking conversations, the podcast explores critical themes including advanced energy technologies, grid reliability and flexibility, climate adaptation and resilience, the transformative role of artificial intelligence, the evolving economics and policies shaping energy systems, and more.
Whether you're an energy professional, policymaker, or curious listener, the EPRI Current brings you expert perspectives that highlight how innovation and collaboration are powering a more resilient and reliable energy future.
Tune in and be part of the journey as we shape the future of energy—together.
Latest Episodes
Best of 2025: Conversations Shaping the Future of Energy
Host: Samantha Gilman
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’ll also revisit conversations on innovative grid flexibility initiatives, such as DCFlex, the latest insights from EPRI’s Advanced Reactor Roadmap, and an unexpected yet important topic: how energy infrastructure can support wildlife conservation, including the protection of bat populations.
Join us as we reflect on the moments that defined 2025 and set the stage for another year of insightful conversations on EPRI Current. Listen every other week for the latest research, real-world lessons, and industry perspectives shaping the future of energy.
Grid Talk Series – Unlocking the Power of DER for a Flexible Future
Host: Samantha Gilman
Guests: Audrey Zibelman, Haresh Kamath
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 insights from U.S. regulatory innovation and Australia’s efforts in rooftop solar and two-way energy systems, offering a unique perspective into how international best practices can inform U.S. strategies for resilience, affordability, and modernization. She also previews her work with the Pew Charitable Trust on a forthcoming DER playbook, focused on regulatory reform, market design, and scenario-based planning to meet surging demand from electrification and data centers.
Then, join Samantha Gilman for “EPRI’s Take” with Haresh Kamath, EPRI Director of Cross-Cutting Technologies and Solutions. Haresh discusses operational challenges utilities face when integrating DER and storage, including interoperability, visibility, business models, and contracts. He highlights EPRI’s FLEXIT initiative and emphasizes the importance of industry-wide collaboration and common approaches to unlock DER’s full potential for grid flexibility and resilience.
Exploring the AI-EFFECT on Europe’s Energy Future
Host: Samantha Gilman
Guests: Christian Newman, EPRI; Dr. Winifred Frick, Bat Conservation International
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, enhance resilience, and support decarbonization efforts.
In this episode of EPRI Current, host Samantha Gilman is joined by Alexandra Bach from RWTH Aachen University, Meine van der Meulen from DNV, and Gianluca Lipari from EPRI Europe to explore Work Package 2 of the AI-EFFECT – the architecture and building blocks that enable distributed nodes across multiple countries. Tune in to discover why interoperability, intellectual property protection, and collaboration are essential for accelerating AI adoption in the energy sector. Plus, learn how EPRI’s global initiatives, including Open Power AI Consortium (OPAI) and AI benchmarking, are shaping the future of AI for utilities.
For more information about AI-EFFECT and AI in the power industry: AI-EFFECT | OPAI | AI Benchmarking | EPRI Europe
