Electric Power Engineers, a global power system engineering and consulting firm, has opened an innovation center at the University of Illinois Research Park, its first operation in the state of Illinois.

EPE opened its Center for Energy Innovation to engage closely with engineering, design and business students at the University of Illinois. They will work alongside with leaders and professionals at EPE on projects related to designing solutions for renewable energy including solar, wind, and battery storage solutions, integration, interconnection, transmission and distribution planning and operations, regulatory compliance, grid modernization, distributed energy resources (DER) and energy market analysis and feasibility studies, as well as project management. The students will generate creative solutions through multi-disciplinary collaboration and the exploration and implementation of new and emerging technologies.

“We are focused on accelerating EPE’s growth, reach, and excellence to serve a growing need for expertise to ensure our power systems reliably and economically support decarbonization goals,” said Hala Ballouz, president of Electric Power Engineers, LLC. “With an impressive depth of talent from across multiple disciplines, the University of Illinois is an ideal partner for EPE as we grow our footprint and extend the breadth of our skilled talent with new capabilities.”

“Our institution is a hotbed of cutting-edge energy research, with an astonishing breadth of expertise—and bringing Electric Power Engineers and the University of Illinois Research Park together is a wonderful way to address global energy challenges,” said Dr. Susan Martinis, Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “This organic partnership aligns beautifully with our strategic plan vision to making our university and its surrounding region the leading innovation center and testbed for the technologies and services that will enable the safe, healthy, and sustainable communities of the future.”

The EPE innovation center opened with a small team. When fully occupied, it will host full-time professionals and University of Illinois student interns, who work year-round. Its internship program is designed to bridge theoretical classroom concepts and hands-on training to overcome real-world challenges, so that EPE interns develop skills to advance professionally and academically.

The office is led by Tamer Rousan, Director of Distribution & Grid Modernization at EPE. He holds two degrees from the Grainger College of Engineering at UIUC. The new location will also support the needs of EPE’s clients in the Midwest.