“We’ve seen the cost declines often lag for customers in ways that they may see technology as being ready, but it’s not showing up as a meaningful bill impact. Where are some gaps between perception and reality?”

“Whatever innovation you’re going to do involves a bit of risk, most likely because it hasn’t been proven. How do utilities effectively link their innovation strategies with risk management?”

“It’s having locational pricing at a community aggregation level and being able to actively participate in a retail market and bring your products and services to the table, to provide real value to the grid by lowering demand, and the grid operator needs that demand to be reduced. That kind of innovation if it can happen, is a game-changer.”

“A lot of innovation is not just about the technologies and the people behind them, it’s also about consensus from across sectors on what we’re collectively trying to achieve. Having collaborations that bring in academics, NGOs, investors, and a wide variety of participants can help alleviate polarization.”

Innovators and superstars of the energy and utilities industry attended Fortnightly Top Innovators 2023 at the historic Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. to learn, trade ideas, and network.

A tour of the the Blue Lab Green Lab and Fabrication Lab with Jim McNelis, plus the Materials Testing Lab with Tony Kosari.

“We are an applied research and technology development non-profit organization. We have a long list of customers who we call when an opportunity presents itself. Now, about 50% percent of our work is done in the lab, and the other 50% is at company sites.”

“ We do component research on vehicles, from hydrogen-powered cars to heavy duty trucks like the class eight trucks. We collaborate with the Port of Los Angeles to test class eight trucks running on 100% hydrogen fuel. They work well, and are not just R&D trucks, they are running through a real-life cycle.”

“The next frontier for us is hydrogen natural gas blending systems. We’re going to be working with partners in Europe where there are burners designed for hydrogen that we can work with and help bring to this market where appropriate.”

“All the equipment we’re working with is commercially available. The goal of testing it in a microgrid is to achieve annual efficiencies well over 100% on or off grid at GHG emission levels no more than 50% of the current average grid.”