via EPRI
PALO ALTO, Calif. (Aug.6, 2026) -- As artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly moving from pilot projects to real-world deployment across the energy sector, there is a growing need for trusted, consistent methods to evaluate operational risk. EPRI today announced SAFERai.power, a collaborative initiative that will equip utilities and technology providers with the tools, evidence, and guardrails needed to scale AI responsibly.
Building on work from EPRI's Open Power AI (OPAI) consortium, SAFERai.power addresses the risks AI solutions may pose to critical power system attributes: safety, accountability, fairness, explainability, and reliability (SAFER). The initiative will develop a common operational risk framework and open-source assessment toolkit to help organizations evaluate whether AI systems are ready for deployment in utility environments.
Initial founding members of SAFERai.power include Alliant, Ameren, ATC, Arizona Public Service, Centerpoint Energy, Con Edison, Constellation, Cooperative Energy, CPS Energy, Duke Energy, Exelon, HData, Microsoft, Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO), NERC, Nebraska Public Power District, New York Power Authority, NVIDIA, Omaha Public Power District, Pacific Gas & Electric, PJM Interconnection, Salt River Project, SHI International, Southern California Edison, Southern Company, TVA, WEC Energy Group, and World Wide Technology (WWT).