stock image of power plant

The Energy Policy and Innovation Center at Georgia Tech was launched in the Fall of 2016 to conduct research, provide information, and coordinate related activities with leaders and innovators in the energy industry. By partnering with a variety of individuals and organizations, such as scientists, researchers, utility companies, and nonprofits, the Center will explore the intersection of policy and technology and draw upon the extensive expertise in the Southeast.

Mission & Objectives

EPICenter will specifically address characteristic resources, challenges, and capabilities and deliver viable solutions with maximum impact with regional expertise. It is the first known implementation of a regional partnership to focus on the interdependencies of energy policy and technology toward the pragmatic realization of meaningful, affordable, and market-based carbon reductions.

The Center will also work towards accelerating a diversity of reliable, affordable and increasingly low-carbon energy options in the Southeast by putting a premium on regional contributions that can enhance U.S. energy leadership and competitiveness. Challenges in both power generation and in transportation on a regional basis will be investigated. Techno-economic, social and policy factors, as well as near and longer term impacts, are within the scope of consideration. Primary objectives include:

  • Work Products: The EPICenter will produce and disseminate rigorous, fact-based policy studies that will address southeastern perspectives on global, national and regional energy issues;
  • Events: The Center will host conferences, workshops, and symposiums on relevant energy issues, serving as a nonpartisan facilitator for academic, business and nongovernmental stakeholders;
  • Educational Outreach and Workforce Development: The EPICenter will provide opportunities for learning and information exchange among students, faculty and visiting scholars. It will also support training and workforce development with regional utilities and energy equipment providers, facilitating stakeholder collaboration and public-private energy partnerships.

As of 2018, the EPICenter has announced several request for proposals for researchers within the Georgia Tech community, individually or in collaboration with public and private entities within their Southeastern U.S. networks. In keeping with the operative scope for the Center, these entities can include universities, national labs, think tanks, NGOs, or other research centers.

Funding Model

In executing its mission, EPICenter draws upon voluntary contributions from external organizations. The center is funded by an endowment and annual cash gifts to the Georgia Tech Foundation, and receives additional support in the form of personnel time and other in-kind contributions. Input from external entities that accompanies support, including recommendations related to center studies or operations, is subject to the discretion of EPICenter leadership. Similarly, no particular work product, findings, or implied results of center deliverables shall be linked, or give the perception of being linked, to a specific donation by any individual participant.

We would like to thank the following organizations for their gifts and in-kind support: American Electric Power, Edison Electric Institute, Electric Power Research Institute, Ford Motor Co., General Electric, Oak Ridge National Lab, Siemens, Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, Southern Research Institute, Tennessee Valley Authority, and The Southern Company.