Energy Biz - September/October 2008 - (Page 25) role in a collaborative process that emphasizes multiple disciplines and every aspect of electricity production, transmission and use. EPRI Chief Executive Officer Steve Specker and his team are leading an organization focused on helping our existing assets operate reliably and safely while providing expertise at the vanguard of emerging technologies. Advanced nuclear deployment depends on the top-notch operation of the existing nuclear fleet. Advanced coal generation with carbon capture and storage cannot be strategically separated from the need to obtain top performance from the existing fleet. We must transform the familiar grid of today into the dynamic, smart grid of tomorrow while driving continuous improvement in quality and reliability. EPRI recognizes that neither today’s technologies nor tomorrow’s technologies can be relegated to the back seat, and a look at the organization’s research portfolio bears out this important truth. We need this point of view — along with EPRI’s experience and expertise — leading these essential technological changes in our industry. It’s true that leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. I venture to say that both are indispensable to EPRI and that EPRI is indispensable to our industry. Young people tell me that they wish they had been alive in the days of the Apollo space program. A later generation will look back on the electricity industry of today and express the same wish. Let’s tackle our challenges with the same technological confidence and can-do spirit. Mike Chesser, Great Plains Energy chairman and chief executive officer, serves as chairman of the Electric Power Research Institute. www.energycentral.com E n E rgyB i z 25 http://www.energycentral.com
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