Utility Research

EPRI has a significant annual collaborative program for research related to distributed energy resources. EPRI is a membership organization comprising major national and international energy companies. EPRI also conducts specific project research in cooperation with state and national organizations. The EPRI headquarters is located in Palo Alto, California.

Major U.S. utilities work collaboratively with EPRI or other groups, and also conduct their own in-house research as well. Examples of DER activities at selected California utilities are listed below:

• Southern California Gas is demonstrating a combination microturbine and absorption chiller.
• LADWP is installing a 250 kW fuel cell at its headquarters. It is also operating fifty 30 kW microturbines at the Lopez Canyon Landfill.
• The City of Burbank is conducting a demonstration of ten 30 kW microturbines running on landfill gas.