Southern Company and EPRI, a non-profit energy research and development organization, are launching a pilot program to advance technologies that will support an affordable, reliable and resilient energy future. The Emerging Technologies Pilot Program (ETP Program) is a collaborative initiative that will accelerate the validation and deployment of cutting-edge energy solutions. This unique collaboration will leverage Southern Company's ability to serve energy to homes and businesses and EPRI's experience connecting start-up companies with energy providers through its Incubatenergy Labs (IEL) program.

The ETP program is designed to address many of the challenges major corporations often face when implementing new products or services and aims to shorten the amount of time it takes to gain value from novel technologies. Maximizing this "time to value" will provide access to smaller companies that can help the power industry to more rapidly assess, prepare and eventually integrate technologies that will shape the future of energy.

Under this program, Southern Company will identify critical strategic and operational needs, and EPRI will utilize its extensive network and technical expertise to connect with companies whose technologies meet those business objectives. Based on EPRI's research and insights, Southern Company will then prioritize and advance he most promising concepts for potential future development.

The ETP Program will streamline processes and take advantage of the collective expertise of Southern Company and EPRI, with the key benefits to:

• Accelerate pilot selection and advancement: EPRI's rigorous evaluation process will support efforts to identify compelling companies, streamlining the technology review and contracting process. 
  
  
• Enhance resource utilization: Southern Company will utilize EPRI's expertise and resources to help address constraints often associated with integrating a startup company's technology into a large corporate enterprise.
  
  
• Reduce risk: The program's ability to leverage EPRI's expertise and resources will create a "sandbox" environment that will help mitigate risks associated with demonstrating new technologies. 

"The energy landscape is rapidly evolving, and it is crucial that we embrace innovation to meet the growing demands of our customers," said Robin Lanier, New Ventures director for Southern Company. "The Emerging Technologies Pilot Program with EPRI will enable us to quickly identify and validate promising technologies, and help ensure that we remain at the forefront of energy innovation and continue to deliver clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy solutions." 

"EPRI is committed to accelerating the development and deployment of advanced technologies that support affordable, reliable and resilient energy," said Dan Killoren, head of the Global Innovation Hub for EPRI. "We look forward to working with Southern Company and its subsidiaries in this collaboration as we further our goal of rapidly evaluating and integrating innovative solutions that can benefit the energy industry and society."