Southern Company Leads Energy Innovation With Advanced Technologies and R&D Investments for a Clean Energy Future
Southern Company leads U.S. utility industry in R&D and innovative energy technologies, focusing on clean energy solutions. The company invests in various research areas including carbon capture, advanced nuclear technologies, hydrogen, and energy storage through partnerships with government, laboratories, and universities. As a founding partner of Energy Impact Partners, managing over $4 billion in assets, Southern Company achieved notable engagement metrics in 2023: 500+ employees participated in EIP events, 50+ partner engagements, and 35 innovative solutions implemented. Key projects include Form Energy's 15 MW iron-air battery development for Georgia Power and Urbint's AI-assisted technology for infrastructure safety.
Southern Company è leader nell'industria delle utility statunitensi in R&S e tecnologie energetiche innovative, concentrandosi su soluzioni di energia pulita. L'azienda investe in varie aree di ricerca, tra cui cattura del carbonio, tecnologie nucleari avanzate, idrogeno e stoccaggio energetico, attraverso partnership con governi, laboratori e università. Come partner fondatore di Energy Impact Partners, con oltre 4 miliardi di dollari in asset, Southern Company ha raggiunto metriche di coinvolgimento notevoli nel 2023: oltre 500 dipendenti hanno partecipato agli eventi di EIP, più di 50 collaborazioni con partner e 35 soluzioni innovative implementate. I progetti chiave includono lo sviluppo della batteria al ferro-aria da 15 MW di Form Energy per Georgia Power e la tecnologia assistita da IA di Urbint per la sicurezza delle infrastrutture.
Southern Company lidera la industria de utilidades en EE. UU. en I+D y tecnologías energéticas innovadoras, enfocándose en soluciones de energía limpia. La empresa invierte en diversas áreas de investigación, incluyendo captura de carbono, tecnologías nucleares avanzadas, hidrógeno y almacenamiento de energía, a través de asociaciones con gobiernos, laboratorios y universidades. Como socio fundador de Energy Impact Partners, que gestiona más de 4 mil millones de dólares en activos, Southern Company logró métricas de participación notables en 2023: más de 500 empleados participaron en eventos de EIP, más de 50 compromisos con socios y 35 soluciones innovadoras implementadas. Los proyectos clave incluyen el desarrollo de la batería de hierro-aire de 15 MW de Form Energy para Georgia Power y la tecnología asistida por IA de Urbint para la seguridad de infraestructuras.
Southern Company는 미국 유틸리티 산업에서 R&D 및 혁신 에너지 기술의 선두주자로, 청정 에너지 솔루션에 주목하고 있습니다. 이 회사는 정부, 연구소 및 대학과의 파트너십을 통해 탄소 포집, 고급 원자력 기술, 수소 및 에너지 저장 등 다양한 연구 분야에 투자하고 있습니다. Energy Impact Partners의 창립 파트너로서 40억 달러 이상의 자산을 관리하고 있는 Southern Company는 2023년에 주목할 만한 참여 지표를 달성했습니다: 500명 이상의 직원이 EIP 이벤트에 참여하였고, 50건 이상의 파트너 참여와 35개의 혁신적인 솔루션이 구현되었습니다. 주요 프로젝트에는 Georgia Power를 위한 Form Energy의 15 MW 철-공기 배터리 개발과 인프라 안전을 위한 Urbint의 AI 지원 기술이 포함됩니다.
Southern Company est le leader de l'industrie des services publics aux États-Unis en matière de R&D et de technologies énergétiques innovantes, se concentrant sur des solutions d'énergie propre. L'entreprise investit dans divers domaines de recherche, notamment la capture de carbone, les technologies nucléaires avancées, l'hydrogène et le stockage d'énergie, grâce à des partenariats avec le gouvernement, des laboratoires et des universités. En tant que partenaire fondateur de Energy Impact Partners, gérant plus de 4 milliards de dollars d'actifs, Southern Company a atteint des indicateurs d'engagement notables en 2023 : plus de 500 employés ont participé à des événements EIP, plus de 50 engagements partenaires et 35 solutions innovantes mises en œuvre. Les projets clés comprennent le développement de la batterie fer-air de 15 MW de Form Energy pour Georgia Power et la technologie assistée par IA d'Urbint pour la sécurité des infrastructures.
Southern Company ist führend in der amerikanischen Versorgungsindustrie im Bereich F&E und innovativer Energietechnologien, mit einem Fokus auf saubere Energielösungen. Das Unternehmen investiert in verschiedene Forschungsbereiche, darunter Kohlenstoffabscheidung, fortschrittliche Nukleartechnologien, Wasserstoff und Energiespeicherung, durch Partnerschaften mit der Regierung, Laboren und Universitäten. Als Gründungspartner von Energy Impact Partners, das über 4 Milliarden Dollar an Vermögenswerten verwaltet, erzielte Southern Company bemerkenswerte Engagement-Metriken im Jahr 2023: Über 500 Mitarbeiter nahmen an EIP-Veranstaltungen teil, über 50 Partnerengagements und 35 innovative Lösungen wurden implementiert. Wichtige Projekte sind die Entwicklung einer 15 MW Eisen-Luft-Batterie von Form Energy für Georgia Power und die KI-gestützte Technologie von Urbint zur Sicherheit der Infrastruktur.
- Leading position in U.S. utility industry R&D and innovation
- Managing over $4 billion in assets through Energy Impact Partners
- Successfully implemented 35 innovative solutions across the system in 2023
- Development of 15 MW iron-air battery system for enhanced grid reliability
- Strategic investments in cleantech startups through venture capital partnerships
- None.
Insights
This sustainability and R&D update from Southern Company (SO) showcases significant strategic initiatives but lacks immediate financial impact metrics. The company's investments in Energy Impact Partners managing
The focus on carbon capture, advanced nuclear and long-duration energy storage technologies positions SO well for the energy transition, but these are long-term initiatives without clear near-term revenue implications. While the company's leadership in utility industry R&D is commendable, investors should view this as part of SO's ongoing operational strategy rather than a market-moving development.
Originally published in Southern Company's 2023 Sustainability Summary
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 1, 2024 / For more than a century, Southern Company has been building the future of energy and developing a diverse portfolio of energy resources. To accomplish this, we invest heavily in R&D and innovative energy solutions. We lead the U.S. utility industry in the development, funding and demonstration of innovative technologies necessary to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy.
Through collaborative research with the U.S. government, national laboratories, universities, research organizations, other utilities and industry, Southern Company's R&D team drives energy innovation that will enable customers and communities to thrive as the world changes. Our research is facilitating the transition to a clean energy future by exploring a full spectrum of solutions such as:
Carbon capture, conversion, removal and storage
High-potential advanced nuclear technologies
Hydrogen and renewable natural gas
Energystorage
Enhanced natural gas and electric grid resiliency, reliability and flexibility
Customer end-use innovations like Smart Neighborhoods®
Low-carbon transportation
Deployment of new and existing technologies requires a comprehensive evaluation of many factors, including affordability, reliability, resource availability and impacts. Southern Company is partnering with EPRI to conduct an analysis of potential environmental factors associated with new technologies, including emissions, land use, water demand and waste generation. The project, launched in April 2023, aims to provide information to aid in decision making and generation planning, inform R&D efforts focused on environmental stewardship and contribute new insights to support the broader industry's efforts to decarbonize.
We also invest in early-stage energy technology companies and solutions through entities such as our New Ventures organization and Energy Impact Partners.
Supporting Our Customers' Decarbonization Efforts
In addition to pursuing R&D concepts that support our business, we offer a variety of products, programs and services to meet the needs of our customers. An important objective for many of our residential, commercial and industrial customers is decarbonizing their own footprint. Through energy efficiency programs, energy audits, alternative fuel vehicle programs and innovative partnerships and investments, we support customers by providing a range of solutions.
Spotlight: Energy Impact Partners
Southern Company is a founding partner of Energy Impact Partners (EIP), a utility-backed venture capital fund managing over
Southern Company is recognized as the most engaged limited partner, based on the number of engagements and solutions deployed. This recognition underscores our commitment to exploring solutions that provide emission reductions, greater operational efficiencies and enhanced customer engagement.
The key to driving impact with innovative solutions lies in engagement, collaboration and action. In 2023 we had:
500+ employees engaged in EIP events and reviews, fostering innovation within our team.
50+ engagements with other limited partners, gaining valuable industry insights
35 innovative solutions introduced or leveraged across the Southern Company system from EIP's portfolio companies.
New pilots allow us to quickly test and implement innovative solutions for a sustainable energy future.
Advancing Innovative Solutions
Southern Company actively engages with startups focused on the energy transition through investments in venture capital. These investments and engagements provide additional avenues to identify solutions to meet evolving customer expectations.
Our venture capital partner network includes nearly half of the North American investor-owned utility sector and dozens of other global corporate partners leading the energy transition. Our venture capital investments help facilitate collaborations between novel startups and corporate partners in support of accelerating innovation.
From AI-enabled technologies to improve operations and safety to novel long-duration energy storage, we are committed to advancing solutions that support delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy to customers.
Form Energy specializes in grid-scale energy storage and is developing a 15 MW iron-air battery for Georgia Power. This battery provides a 100-hour dispatch long-duration energy storage system. The project is part of Georgia Power's plan to deploy clean energy systems for grid reliability and resiliency. The collaboration aims to strengthen the local grid against daily, weekly, and seasonal weather variability, as well as extreme weather events.
Urbint's AI-assisted technology helps predict threats to workers, communities, critical infrastructure and the environment, and helps stop accidents before they happen. Urbint technology has been successfully applied to identify the risk of leaks or third-party damages to underground utilities. Southern Company Gas worked with Urbint to develop a damage prevention solution first deployed at Nicor Gas and later expanded throughout the enterprise. By taking preemptive actions, Nicor Gas was able to increase the efficiency of their current damage prevention team and drive down excavation damages. Georgia Power has also worked with Urbint to pilot a "smart" electronic job safety briefing to assist field crews with hazard analysis.
Accelerating the Southeast Cleantech Ecosystem
Georgia Power's collaboration with ENGAGE, a venture capital entity, has been instrumental in scaling startups by connecting them with corporate partners and aiding in the development of comprehensive commercialization strategies. The Georgia Power Foundation has invested
Techstars, supported by Alabama Power, has helped accelerate the growth of early-stage startups, with a focus on clean technologies. The program's success is evident in the accelerated development of companies and the positive influence on the region's entrepreneurial financing activity.
"At Southern Company, our dedication to innovation is deeply embedded in our mission to pioneer transformative solutions for a sustainable energy future. As customer expectations evolve, we recognize the invaluable role of emerging clean tech companies such as those affiliated with Energy Impact Partners in helping us explore new avenues for sustainability-both for our customers and within our own operations."
- Hank Adams, Senior Vice President of Customer Solutions, Southern Company
View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Southern Company on 3blmedia.com.
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SOURCE: Southern Company
View the original press release on accesswire.com
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