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
Grid Talk Series – How fast can the grid adapt to rising demand—and at what cost?
Host: Samantha Gilman
Guests: Ann Rendahl, NARUC, WUTC, and Morgan Scott, EPRI
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.
From Pilots to Scale: Inside the Future of Fleet Electrification
Host: Samantha Gilman
Guests: Mike Rowand, EPRI; Watson Collins, EPRI
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.
Grid Talk Series – Navigating Grid Stress in an Era of Increasing Demand
Host: Samantha Gilman
Guests: Elliot Mainzer, California ISO; Eamonn Lannoye, EPRI Europe.
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.
