EPRI Canada

A day in the life of an EPRI researcher often includes attending and speaking at conferences. But some conferences hit differently and this week was a perfect example. The IEEE EPEC Conference returned this year, after a pandemic hiatus, at my alma mater of University of Waterloo. It was clear from the moment I stepped in what a labour of love was poured into this, especially by lead organizer (and outstanding human, friend and researcher) Nitin Padmanabhan. The conference brought over 200 students, academics, and industry professionals together for a mix of plenary addresses, technical talks, workshops and panel discussions. The discussions ranged from IBR Controls to Expansion Planning to Policy for Transmission. My personal highlights though: ✔️When engineering graduate students say "You helped me realize that I need to understand policy contexts and have technical expertise" ✔️Giving my first ever keynote address (and yes, I talked about being inspired by Fern Gully, why decarbonization is trickier than managing the ozone hole & the need for innovation from both the natural and social sciences) ✔️EPRI Canada's inaugural sponsorship event. Our vision is to be at the heart of the Canadian energy ecosystem, bridging research to practice. When our members tell us "Thank you for being here and helping us innovate, learn and grow", we know we are doing the right thing. ✔️Moderating a super fun panel titled "No Transition Until Transmission?" with Megan Lund, P.Eng Ahmed Rashwan, P.E., P.Eng. and Eduardo Gomez Hennig . 🙏

There is a lot happening on the University of Waterloo Campus this week. The IEEE Canada Electrical Power and Energy Conference is well under way with multiple technical session streams, workshops, and panels. As I try to stay out of the math and focus on the big picture, it is clear that: - The technology needed to decarbonize is there. - Technology refinements and innovations continue to progress at a fast pace. - There are more utilities and power system professionals involved than ever before. I had the privilege to moderate a conversation with Michael Scott (RESCo Energy Inc), Nitin Padmanabhan (EPRI Canada), Ali Golriz (Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO)), and Anushree Sharma (Tesla Energy). I didn’t hear anyone say that we are up against a wall when it comes to unlocking the full potential of DERs. We just have a lot of work to do. I am encouraging the idea that leadership and culture change is key. We each need to do whatever small part we can because we are already heading in the right direction. Lead DER integrations in your circle of influence because culture change and decarbonization is hard and takes thousands of people working together! Many thanks to the hosts and sponsors of this important event! https://epec2025.ieee.ca/

Last week I had the privilege of speaking at the SMR Forum in Edmonton, Alberta, an event that underscored one clear message: Alberta is open for business when it comes to new nuclear deployments and data centers. I joined the panel "SMRs and AI: A Dynamic Duo Powering Data Centers and Accelerating Deployment" where we explored how artificial intelligence and advanced nuclear technologies are converging to reshape energy and digital infrastructure. With the exponential growth of AI, data center energy demand is projected to double within the next decade—and clean, reliable, scalable solutions like nuclear can meet this challenge. During the discussion, I shared perspectives on how AI can accelerate nuclear deployments by supporting: - Reactor design, siting, and licensing processes - Automating engineering reports such as design and procurement specifications, commissioning documents, etc. to name a few. The power of AI is streamlining nuclear workflows when trained with the right data. EPRI’s Nuclear Beyond Electricity research is paving the way for Canada’s next generation of nuclear-powered data centers as we support Canada’s future of nuclear powered data centers, including: - Colocating nuclear power plants with data centers - Integration of data centers with nuclear cooling systems - Pairing with data centers with thermal energy storage systems and nuclear heat boosting solutions The path forward is clear: aligning nuclear energy and AI will be essential for powering the digital economy sustainably. As leaders in this space, we must champion collaboration, invest in research, and embrace new models that bridge energy and technology. The opportunities ahead are immense—and together, we can ensure that the next wave of digital transformation is both clean and resilient. If you are interested in learning more about EPRI’s nuclear-data center integration, please reach out. A big thank you to the organizing team led by Erveina Gosalci, our panel moderator Grace Meikle, and my fellow panelists Bharath Nangia, Dinkar Bhatia, and Stephanie Enders for the thoughtful and engaging discussion. Exciting times ahead as we work to align nuclear energy and AI in powering the digital economy sustainably. #EPRI #SMRForum #ArtificialIntelligence #DataCenters #CleanEnergy #Nuclear #NuclearBeyondElectricity

Just back from Toronto and the Conexus Nuclear Inc. (Conexus) Collaboration Week, where Canada’s economic and energy future took center stage. Despite global FDI headwinds, Canada is killing it: 297 FDI (foreign direct investment) project announcements in H1 2025, a record for any half-year. Q1 inflows hit CAD 28.5 billion (~USD 21 billion) and projections indicate H1 likely matching or exceed this pace. Why’s this a big deal? Load growth. FDI is pouring into high-energy sectors—EV/battery plants, critical minerals, hydrogen production, and AI data centers—driving industrial electricity demand. Rachna Clavero cited an additional 140–190 GW in new clean energy capacity will be needed by 2050, and leaders from Bruce Power, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, SaskPower, and Ontario Power Generation shared bold plans to tackle the challenge. Canada’s not just attracting capital—it’s powering the future. And, EPRI Canada is here for it.