EPRI launches new Data Center flexibility framework. How EPRI's Flex MOSAIC Framework Is Rewriting the Rules of Data Center Interconnection The race to power AI isn't just about gigawatts. It's about time. And right now, time is the one resource the data center industry can't afford to waste. As artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing push electricity demand to levels the grid was never designed to handle, a single bottleneck has emerged at the center of nearly every major project: Time-to-Power. Interconnection queues stretch for years. Utilities model every new data center as a worst-case "black box." Developers face custom studies, mounting costs, and stalled timelines before a single server ever goes online. A new industry framework just changed that equation. EPRI launches Flex MOSAIC: A shared language for grid flexibility. On March 23, 2026, at CERAWeek in Houston, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) announced Flex MOSAIC, a uniform flexibility classification framework for large electric loads, built through its DCFlex initiative in collaboration with more than 65 utilities, system operators, regulators, hyperscalers, and technology providers. The core idea is straightforward but transformative: rather than treating every data center as an unpredictable draw on the grid, Flex MOSAIC gives operators, utilities, and developers a common vocabulary to define and communicate exactly how flexible a load can be, based on the magnitude, timing, duration, and frequency of its response. As EPRI President and CEO Arshad Mansoor put it, "flexibility is becoming the third leg of the speed-to-power stool, alongside generation and transmission." Why the "black box" Problem has to end. Traditionally, utilities have had no reliable way to assess what a new data center would actually demand of the grid. Every project required custom modeling. Every interconnection study started from scratch. The result? Interconnection timelines measured in years, not months - and a growing gap between the speed of AI deployment and the pace of grid infrastructure. Flex MOSAIC solves this by introducing five performance-based DCFlex Flexibility Classes that describe exactly what kind of grid support a facility can provide: | Class | Capability | | Class A: Critical Peaking | Response to rare scarcity events (5 hours or less) | | Class B: + Peak | Response to frequent scarcity events (5 hours or less) | | Class C: + Prolonged | Adds response to prolonged events up to 24 hours | | Class D: /+ Fast | Adds fast response with short notification times | | Class E: Fully Dispatchable | Full combination of peaking, prolonged, and fast response | By classifying large loads based on performance rather than just technology, the framework enables utilities and developers to plan together with confidence, reducing the need for bespoke modeling, speeding interconnection, and preserving grid reliability as massive new loads come online. LandGate and KPMG: Committed to the Framework from Day One. At LandGate, in partnership with KPMG, LandGate Corp is proud to be early supporters of the EPRI DCFlex framework and LandGate Corp is already putting it to work for its clients. LandGate and KPMG have an established partnership focused on bridging the world of digital infrastructure and energy systems. KPMG's National Renewable Energy Group brings deep expertise in tax, valuation, and advisory services for large-scale energy and infrastructure projects. LandGate brings the most comprehensive land, grid, and infrastructure data platform in the U.S. including precise transmission and substation mapping, interconnection queue visibility down to the node level, and siting analytics that surface grid headroom before a single dollar is committed. Together, LandGate Corp is applying the DCFlex framework to help clients: * Design for flexibility from the start - not as an afterthought, but as a core siting and development criterion * Streamline interconnection by matching project capabilities to grid needs in the language utilities now recognize * Optimize site selection by identifying locations where a project's specific flexibility class unlocks existing capacity * Reduce deployment risk and increase ROI by getting to power faster What this means for the industry. The participants in Flex MOSAIC's initial launch include Google, Meta, NVIDIA, Siemens, Constellation Energy, Southern Company, Exelon, MISO, CAISO, and Arizona Public Service, among others. The framework is voluntary but the momentum behind it signals that standardization is no longer optional for serious players in the space. NERC President Jim Robb called a common framework like this "essential for maintaining a reliable grid." NARUC President Ann Rendahl noted that state regulators are watching closely, focused on ensuring that the costs of serving massive new loads don't fall on existing ratepayers and that frameworks like Flex MOSAIC offer a path forward that benefits all stakeholders. For data center developers and investors, the message is clear: Projects that can credibly demonstrate their flexibility class will move faster, face fewer regulatory hurdles, and access capital on better terms. LandGate and KPMG are committed to helping clients navigate this transition with clarity and confidence. In the coming months, look for new datasets, reports, white papers, and joint webinars designed to put the Flex MOSAIC framework into practice - helping you design flexible facilities, identify the right sites, and get to power faster. The grid now has a shared language. LandGate and KPMG are here to help you speak it fluently. Interested in how the DCFlex framework can accelerate your next project? Connect with LandGate and KPMG to learn more.

EPRI board names new leadership, board members. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) introduced new leadership and appointed members to its board of directors. The EPRI board named Michael Innocenzo, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Exelon, and president and CEO of PECO, as its new chair. "I'm honored to continue to build on EPRI's strong foundation of collaboration and scientific rigor as we navigate a period of rapid transformation," Innocenzo said. "The crucial research and advanced insights EPRI provides are essential to powering the economic growth that customers, communities, and businesses around the country depend on." Matthew Ketschke, president of Consolidated Edison, was named first vice chair of the board. "EPRI is privileged to welcome Michael and Matthew into new board leadership roles at a pivotal moment for the energy sector," EPRI President and CEO Arshad Mansoor said. "Their deep operational experience and shared commitment to reliability and innovation will be invaluable as the industry is undergoing rapid transformation. I also want to extend my sincere thanks to outgoing EPRI Board chair Tom Kent, president and CEO of the Nebraska Public Power District, for his exceptional leadership and service over the past year, as well as the five outgoing board members who have helped guide EPRI during their tenure." In addition, 10 new directors were elected for four-year terms to the board. They include: * Edward H. Baine, executive vice president-Utility Operations and president-Dominion Energy Virginia. * Joseph P. Bergstein, Jr., executive vice president and chief financial officer of PPL Corporation. * Brian Bolster, president and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources. * Dan Eggers, senior executive vice president, Finance and Data Economy at Constellation. * Rudy D. Garza, president and CEO of CPS Energy. His term begins in August. * Craig Grooms, president and CEO of Buckeye Power and Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives. * Kim Lauritsen, senior vice president of Enterprise Strategy and Growth at Ontario Power Generation. * Phillip May, president and CEO of Entergy Louisiana. * Lanny Nickell, president and CEO of Southwest Power Pool. * Georgios Stassis, chairman and CEO of PPC Group. EPRI's board is an independent body that helps support the institute's public benefit mission to advance safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible electricity through global collaboration, thought leadership, and science and technology innovation.

Unlocking Big part manufacturing for the energy sector: how EPRI's convergent approach proves the potential of large-area DED 3D printing - 3dprint.com. February 19, 2026 The U.S. hydropower fleet, more than 2,200 plants averaging 65 years of age, relies on large, bespoke components that are increasingly difficult to source. Long lead times, disappearing suppliers, and aging infrastructure create mounting risks for operators trying to maintain reliability. Within this context, EPRI has emerged as a leader in applying convergent manufacturing - the combination of conventional metal stock and advanced 3D printed features - to demonstrate practical, near term solutions for manufacturing "big parts for energy." In a first of its kind research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) project, EPRI partnered with Salt River Project (SRP) and Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions (LEAS) to design, manufacture, inspect, and install a convergently manufactured hydropower wicket gate, showcasing how wire arc directed energy deposition (DED) can dramatically shorten schedules, meet stringent utility requirements, and build a path for widespread adoption of large-area additive manufacturing. The Big Parts challenge: supply chains strained by scale. Hydropower components such as wicket gates, runners, and housings are often enormous, weighing hundreds to thousands of pounds. While small and midsized components have benefited from powder bed fusion additive manufacturing for years, the scale of hydropower applications makes powder bed processes impractical. Wire arc DED, however, can produce large components at industrially relevant sizes and deposition rates. Yet utilities have been slow to adopt AM citing lack of internal experience and engineering, limited supplier familiarity, and uncertainties around codes, standards, and qualification. Through its Advanced Manufacturing Methods and Materials (AM3) program, EPRI is driving thought leadership by addressing these barriers head-on with targeted demonstrations that de-risk new technologies for the energy sector. SRP's real world need: casting bottlenecks and 30-month lead times. SRP's century-old hydropower facility needed a new set of CF3M stainless steel wicket gates. The casting procurement took 30 months, driven by supply chain constraints and the need to reverse engineer legacy components with no existing drawings. This challenge created the perfect test case to evaluate whether additive manufacturing could deliver a high-quality alternative with fewer bottlenecks. EPRI's demonstration: proving technical and economic viability. EPRI's collaborative RD&D effort evaluated material readiness, build strategies, and extensive testing requirements. CF3M's close similarity to 316L, a well-established wire DED alloy, made it an ideal candidate. The project leveraged a supplier with an ASME Section IX AM process qualification to ensure minimum 316L properties across the build envelope. Two build strategies were considered: * Full-build DED of the entire part (feasible but costly). * Convergent manufacturing: printing a 'leaf' onto a 316L forged bar. EPRI chose the convergent approach, cutting wire use by ~50% and simplifying handling. For this first-application SRP required rigorous acceptance criteria: liquid penetrant inspection, dimensional scanning, full volumetric radiography, and both destructive and nondestructive evaluations of a sacrificial part (Phased array ultrasonic examination, tensile tests in multiple orientations and locations, impact testing, and metallography). The successful manufacturing trial at LEAS produced two convergently manufactured wicket gates, each using ~250 lbs. of wire over two and a half days of print time. SRP performed the final machining and quality evaluations. Indications in the AM part were minimal with far smaller and fewer defects than the accepted in cast parts. EPRI conducted full destructive evaluation of one of the components. Tensile testing in all critical locations and orientations exceeded ASTM CF3M minimums and metallographic inspections showed no cracking or major discontinuities. Based on these findings, one AM wicket gate was installed during SRP's 2025 outage and will continue to be monitored in service as one of the first utility-installed large-area DED components in hydropower. Why convergent manufacturing is the key. The results offer a compelling case for convergent approaches: * Cost: A single convergent DED wicket gate cost was equivalent to the per-part casting cost, despite the overhead of a first article demonstration. In contrast, fully printed versions would have exceeded 140%. Optimized convergent manufacturing based on the learnings from this demonstration, reducing overbuild to reduce machining time, batching heat-treatments, and right-sizing inspection requirements, are estimated to bring costs down to 75% of casting prices in future production. * Schedule: The convergent manufacturing project took six months, with a clear path to three-month delivery for planned replacement compared to 30 months for castings. * Performance: AM parts demonstrated better or comparable material properties and fewer internal defects than cast equivalents. The bigger picture: demonstrations as catalysts for industry adoption. This project exemplifies EPRI's role as a trusted, neutral convener that helps utilities explore emerging technologies with confidence. Demonstrations like this accelerate adoption not by theorizing but by proving, under real manufacturing, inspection, and installation conditions, that advanced manufacturing can meet the expectations of the energy sector. Convergent manufacturing stands out as a transformative approach with the potential to reduce cost, mitigates supply chain risk, and unlocks the full potential of large-area DED 3D printing. For an industry managing aging assets, scarce suppliers, and increasing demand for reliability, this method may define the next era of large-component manufacturing. John Shingledecker is a Principal Technical Executive in the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). As a recognized industry thought leader and technical expert, he is responsible for Innovation and Government Strategy across EPRI's Energy Supply research (thermal and renewable generation, conventional and advanced nuclear technology, low-carbon resources, long-duration energy storage...). He leads integration of EPRI activities in advanced manufacturing methods and materials for current and future power generation technologies with a focus on supply chain resilience. He is responsible for building and leading internal and external collaborative teams to address pressing industry challenges and enable technology maturation in the energy industry. Prior to his current role, Dr. Shingledecker held various positions including leading EPRI's Cross-Sector Technologies Group and EPRI's Materials & Repair Program. He has extensive experience in global collaboration with utilities and their supply chain conducting workshops, conferences, and training. Prior to EPRI, he was a research staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He has published more than 240 papers, proceedings, and reports on the metallurgy and behavior of engineering alloys, has won numerous awards for transferring technology to industry, served on industry and scientific advisory boards, and is an adjunct faculty in Materials Science at Michigan Technological University. At Additive Manufacturing Strategies (AMS) 2026, Dr. Shingledecker will participate in a panel about "Really Big Parts for Energy" on February 25th. This session is part of the broader AMS 2026 conference, which brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the global AM ecosystem. Learn more and register here. Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors. Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.