Benefits of Industry Membership
An important objective of CAPER is to facilitate an open dialogue, exchange of ideas and collaboration among academia, industry and government on critical industry issues. CAPER offers the platform that universities, industry and government can work together to conduct research to solve challenges facing the electric energy industry. CAPER also strives to educate future power engineers through undergraduate research, student exchange, workshops and tutorials, training Sessions, internships and Co-op programs among the University Centers and Industry Partners. Member companies are then able to fill job openings with these experienced and trained students.
Industry members benefits by:
- Having access to experienced researchers in multiple disciplines and locations throughout the southeast
- Leveraging their membership dues in cutting-edge and cost-effective research jointly developed by industry leaders and university experts
- Participating in a forum for exchange of ideas and collaboration among academia, industry and government on crucial industry issues
- Having contact with students as potential job candidates that have the job training and industry experience needed in the various organizations.
Industry members come from a broad cross-section of the industry, both domestically and internationally. For an annual fee, industry members collaboratively structure CAPER’s research program, receive research results, participate in a range of continuing education opportunities, and sustain high quality university power engineering programs critically needed by the power and energy industry.
At meetings held twice a year; industry, researchers and students discuss research and educational activities as they review industry challenges. At an annual summer research planning workshop, industry and university members work “face-to-face” to identify research needs and opportunities. Periodically featured speakers are invited to share breaking news and new developments in the electric power industry.
Industry members also join university researchers on the selected research projects to serve as industry advisors. As an industry advisor, the industry member can help direct the research and provide valuable “real-life” data to the project. Research themes or areas of focus include:
- Power Delivery Infrastructure and Systems
- Power Utilization and Energy Efficiency
- Power Generation, Storage and Integration
- Data Management, Analysis and Security
- Energy Policy, Markets and Economics
An Industry Advisory Board (IAB) is made up of one representative of each funding member company and it provides the critical linkage between industry participants and CAPER. A company with full membership gets one vote on the IAB, but any number of member company employees can attend all open CAPER meetings.
The IAB and industry participants work with the universities to identify research and education opportunities, review and recommend projects. The IAB offices and members work with the Center Director and Center Steering Committee to address CAPER business and policy activities.
The IAB annually elects a Chair and Vice-chair to serve as officers of the Industry Advisory Board and also to represent the IAB on the Center Steering Committee. The current chair of the IAB is Mike Budreau of Santee Cooper.
The Industry Advisory Board and industry participants meet twice annually. At the meetings, all industry participants discuss challenges and issues facing the industry, meet researchers and students from the member universities and receive progress reports on CAPER selected research projects. At the fall meetings, researchers present proposals for new projects and engage in current issue discussions with industry participants. The IAB is responsible for prioritizing research proposals, reviewing CAPER budgets and ensuring projects adhere to schedules.
CAPER Industry Partners
| Duke Energy | Dominion Energy |
Interested Prospective Members