Energy what EPRI is up to: The power utility industry is rooting for its new offspring to uphold its initial high promise

Public pressure stemming from blackouts, energy shortages, environmental concerns, and the growing threat of Federal intervention in the power field have combined to galvanize the utility industry into taking action by forming the Electric Power Research Institute, or EPRI. Set up in 1973 to manage a coordinated R&D program on behalf of the entire utility industry, EPRI has embarked on a four-pronged program that is presently looking into nuclear power; fossil fuels; transmission and distribution; and energy systems, environment, and conservation. Some of the more interesting efforts, which will be described in greater detail further on in this article, include: a computer code for plutonium recycle in light water reactors, coal conversion into fuel products containing low quantities of ash and sulfur, and simplified methods of effecting cable splices.