EPRI
Frank Sharp is Principal Technical Leader at the Electric Power Research Institute.
PUF brings together three leaders in assorted decarbonization efforts to give you a taste of what to expect at Electrification 2022, the enormous event to be held by the Electric Power Research Institute. Allow them to whet your appetite. See you in Charlotte.
PUF's Steve Mitnick: Talk about what fascinates you about indoor agriculture. That's a big part of electrification.
Frank Sharp: It is. Indoor Ag is a wonderful area that allows consumers, utilities, and producers — farm owners — to potentially partner in a lot of ways around sustainability, efficient technology, and responsible operation of space.
We see significant water saving opportunities potentially resulting from the expansion of indoor agriculture, which is increasingly important to drought-prone areas like California. Via indoor ag, we are no longer as dependent on rain and we're able to create a perfect microclimate to optimize plant growth through efficient technology and resource use.
We also saw a benefit in that indoor agriculture can circumvent long-form logistics. Indoor agriculture provides an opportunity to grow a crop close to its source and close to where it will be consumed year-round, regardless of the climate or exterior conditions. From a utility perspective, it offers a lot of potential opportunities to engage with communities to encourage and educate more efficient energy and resource use.