As many of us gathered at GTC 2026 in San Jose last week, the Open Power AI Consortium marked its one‑year anniversary; a milestone that reflects the momentum our members have built in advancing safe, transparent, and industry‑aligned AI for the electric power sector. Over the past 12 months, the consortium has grown from concept to a global collaboration platform delivering measurable impact:
Grew to more than 250 member organizations across utilities, technology developers, national labs, academia, and more.
Launched the Leadership Council, Executive Advisory Group, Member Representative Committee, and four active Work Groups.
Created and published the industry’s most comprehensive benchmarking evaluation of LLM performance on power sector tasks.
Released our consortium website, providing access to curated datasets, open models, work group materials, and new deliverables.
Expanded collaborative R&D, convened global events, and strengthened partnerships across the AI and energy communities.
The recent release of the Genesis Mission reinforces the global need for the energy and AI communities to work together to solve critical challenges at scale. The mission’s objectives strongly align with OPAI’s focus on accelerating the development, validation, and real‑world deployment of AI solutions for the power industry.
Opportunities for OPAI Members
The Genesis Mission has released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) with significant funding available. The consortium is ideally situated to help build high-impact teams to develop and deploy AI solutions and member organizations have a unique opportunity to engage directly with the Genesis Mission. For those interested in preparing proposal submissions or exploring teaming opportunities, please contact:
We welcome the chance to help coordinate project teams and strengthen multi‑organization partnerships.
New Collaboration Pathways: OPAI + Incubatenergy Labs®
Members consistently tell us they want more opportunities to collaborate on building and training AI models and conduct real‑world demonstrations. In response, OPAI is partnering with EPRI’s Incubatenergy Labs® (IEL) program to open a new pathway for joint project development focused on the OPAI priority AI use cases.
Traditionally focused on startup–utility demonstrations, IEL is exploring a special OPAI‑aligned solicitation, open to:
Utilities
Startups
National Labs
Universities
Cross‑organizational project teams
The goal is to leverage the strength of the consortium into paid, collaborative AI demonstration projects that accelerate deployment readiness and industry impact.
We’re looking for thought partners. If you’re interested in getting involved, please reach out to: IEL program Lead Sandra Chavez and Jeremy Renshaw. More details will be shared during upcoming MRC and Work Group meetings.
Technology Spotlight: Micro Data Centers
Micro Data Centers are small, distributed data center facilities, typically 5–20 MW, strategically located near or at electric utility substations to unlock existing grid capacity and bring compute closer to where it’s actually needed. Unlike traditional, centralized data centers that face long timelines and costly transmission upgrades, this model leverages underutilized distribution infrastructure to enable faster, more cost-effective deployment while easing pressure on the grid. By placing compute at the edge, micro data centers support the next wave of low-latency applications, from AI inference and autonomous systems to real-time analytics, while also offering the potential to operate as flexible loads that align with grid conditions, improving reliability and asset utilization. EPRI is actively partnering with utilities to identify high-potential sites through hosting capacity and feasibility studies, with plans to deploy multiple pilot systems. If you’re interested in being part of this rapidly emerging opportunity, whether as a utility, technology partner, or developer, reach out to Ben Sooter to get involved.
New Research and Thought Leadership
New Research and Thought Leadership
EPRI continues to publish high‑value research and thought leadership aligned with OPAI priorities. Recent releases include:
DTECH Data Centers and AI – upcoming sessions on the intersection of digital infrastructure, AI, and grid modernization
We welcome member participation, co‑presentations, and opportunities to highlight successful deployments at these and other key industry events.
Looking Ahead
As we enter our second year, momentum continues to build. Together, we are shaping the future of AI in the electric power sector by fostering collaboration, accelerating innovation, and supporting responsible AI deployment across the industry.
If you have ideas, success stories, or content to share in future meetings, events, or newsletters – please reach out; we’d love to work with you and feature your work.
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