In the United States (US), the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Gas Technology Institute (GTI) are embarking on a five-year initiative to accelerate the development and demonstration of low-carbon energy technologies. The Low-Carbon Resources Initiative (LCRI) is a unique, international collaborative spanning the electric and gas sectors that will help advance global, economy-wide deep decarbonization.
With increasingly ambitious decarbonization goals from private companies and governments alike, existing technology is not enough to achieve those targets. With 18 anchor sponsors, the LCRI leverages the collaborative research model employed by both EPRI and GTI, bringing industry stakeholders together to conduct clean energy R&D for society’s benefit.
Driving collaboration through the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative is important to reach deep decarbonization goals beyond 2030. Achieving ambitious targets will require technologies and processes beyond those widely available today. This global initiative will advance affordable pathways to economy-wide decarbonization, said Arshad Mansoor, President of EPRI.
Seeded with US$10 million from the EPRI collaborative, funding for the initiative is expected to be leveraged many times over its US$100 million target through public and private collaboration.
Achieving decarbonization goals in a safe, reliable, and affordable manner will require deeper integration of energy infrastructure as well as new technologies that address the needs of all sectors of the economy. The LCRI, with widespread involvement across the gas and electric sectors, will advance and demonstrate the technologies needed across the broader energy industry, said Mike Rutkowski SVP GTI.
Sponsors of the initiative represent a wide swath of the energy industry, bringing exceptional knowledge and depth to the LCRI. These entities include:
American Electric Power, Con Edison, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Exelon Corporation, Lincoln Electric System, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Missouri River Energy Services, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Americas, National Fuel, New York Power Authority, Portland General Electric, PPL Corporation, Salt River Project, SoCalGas, Southern California Edison, Southern Company, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The LCRI is targeting advancements in low-carbon electricity generation technologies and low-carbon energy carriers, such as hydrogen, ammonia, synthetic fuels, and biofuels. This worldwide collaborative will:
- Identify and accelerate fundamental development of promising technologies;
- Demonstrate and assess the performance of key technologies and processes;
- Inform key stakeholders and the public about technology options and potential pathways to a low-carbon future
For LCRI’s anchor sponsors, the initiative represents a key step toward achieving decarbonization goals over the next thirty years.
As we work together to further decarbonize our electric and gas grids, resilient, and integrated systems will become even more important in providing clean, affordable, and reliable energy to our customers. This collaborative effort across the gas and electric sectors will be instrumental in developing a 21st-century energy system, said Maryam Brown, President, SoCalGas.
