EPRI's Incubatenergy® Labs Hosts Demo Day

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Incubatenergy^® Labs program and Ameren Corporation (NYSE:AEE), will host "Demo Day 2020" with 10 startup teams showcasing technology innovations as part of the Incubatenergy^® Labs Challenge 2020. The teams will present outcomes of their accelerated demonstrations and research projects that address challenges in electric mobility, customer and community engagement, system resiliency, tools for a digital workforce, energy efficiency, and more.

Demo Day 2020 is a virtual, public event taking place from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (CDT) and will feature opening remarks from EPRI CEO Mike Howard and Ameren chairman and CEO Warner Baxter, as well as 10 startup company presentations. Following the presentations, investors, utilities and other attendees are invited to connect one-on-one with startup leaders. Attendees also can attend a virtual startup exposition hall to learn more about each of the 2020 cohort companies, as well as the alumni companies from the program's 2019 cohort.

"These utility-startup collaborations highlight the tremendous thirst and ability for innovation in the electric power industry," said Mark McGranaghan, vice president of innovation at EPRI. "Despite being conducted virtually, these accelerated, 16-week demonstration projects and teams have exceeded our expectations with regard to their creativity, tenacity, and results," said McGranaghan.

"The energy startups that participated in Incubatenergy^® Labs are actively working to deliver more reliable, sustainable energy solutions for our customers," said Ameren Vice President Steve Kidwell. "The unique collaboration between EPRI, the host utilities and the startups accelerate innovation in a way that would not be possible without this program."

The Incubatenergy^® Labs launched Challenge 2020 in December 2019, seeking startups with demonstration-ready technologies in seven innovation categories. The 10 startups selected were:

• ev.energy – Hosted by Ameren
  Wireless platform that optimizes electric vehicle charging to save customers money, fully utilize renewable energy, and deliver flexibility services to the grid
• Grid Fruit – Hosted by Southern California Edison
  Grid-responsive scheduling of machine cycles to provide demand management and flexibility from commercial foodservice refrigeration systems
• IND Technology, Inc. – Hosted by Ameren
  Technology that remotely detects and locates electrical faults before they occur, which could prevent power losses, wildfires and other consequences
• Kognitiv Spark – Hosted by EPRI
  Augmented reality-enabled tool to help utility workers and supervisors solve problems and learn new skills on the job
• LineVision – Hosted by Tennessee Valley Authority
  Non-contact, overhead line sensor technology that provides situational awareness, asset health monitoring and increases capacity
• PingThings – Hosted by Ameren
  Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform that processes, stores, and uses high-definition sensor data in real time, at grid scale
• ReCurve – Hosted by Ameren
  Software as a service tool that analyzes how to use energy more efficiently and effectively in response to cost, carbon reduction, and other customer goals
• RUNWITHIT – Hosted by EPRI
  AI-driven intelligent systems modeling tool to help grid planners with scenario planning and distributed energy resource integration
• Sharc International Systems Inc. – Hosted by EPRI
  Multifamily building wastewater heat recovery systems
• Switched Source – Hosted by EPRI with Ameren
  Power electronics solutions for dynamic phase balancing to help manage distribution system load and improve power quality

A more detailed description of each project and a link to register for Demo Day can be found on the Incubatenergy^® Labs website. Additional materials will be posted after the event.

Ameren, American Electric Power, and Tennessee Valley Authority are host utilities of the 2020 Challenge, with participation from Consolidated Edison of New York, Enel, Nebraska Public Power District, New York Power Authority, Portland General Electric, Salt River Project, Southern California Edison, and Xcel Energy.

About EPRI

The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI, www.epri.com) is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization that conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public, on a non-discriminatory basis. An independent organization, EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, health, safety and the environment. EPRI's members represent more than 90 percent of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States, and international participation extends to nearly 40 countries. EPRI's principal offices and laboratories are located in Palo Alto, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Lenox, Mass.

About Ameren Corporation

St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric distribution and transmission service, as well as natural gas distribution service, while Ameren Missouri provides vertically integrated electric service, with generating capacity of nearly 10,300 megawatts, and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops regional electric transmission projects. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.

Contacts:

EPRI
Chris Mahoney
704-595-2653
cmahoney@epri.com

Ameren Communications
314.554.2182
missouricommunications@ameren.com

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SOURCE Electric Power Research Institute