WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 17, 2017) - Pepco Holdings' Barbara Gonzalez and Steve Steffel were honored by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) with the Technology Transfer Award for an electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure deployment and work to demonstrate and test smart inverter management, respectively. The Technology Transfer Award is given annually to utility employees who have explored and implemented innovative technologies on behalf of their company and the industry.  

Gonzalez received the award for applying EPRI methodologies and standards to design and deploy EV charging infrastructure to benefit grid operations and support electric vehicle adoption. 

Steffel received the award for his contributions to the standards and requirements for communicating with smart inverters, as well as applying smart inverter functions developed by EPRI and standard communication protocols coordinated by EPRI. 

"Advancing new technology and transforming the future of the electric system on behalf of our customers is part of who we are at Pepco Holdings," said Dave Velazquez, Pepco Holdings, president and CEO. "These awards help tell our story of how we are committed to sustainability measures, like supporting electric vehicles and solar advancements in the communities we serve."

The award was presented during EPRI's Power Delivery and Utilization awards dinner in Huntington Beach, CA on February 14.  

"The 2016 Technology Transfer Award winners have taken EPRI R&D to new levels in order to shape a sustainable energy system," said Arshad Mansoor, senior vice president of R&D at EPRI. "Working in a collaborative environment, their advancements benefit their utility and the entire industry because we all have a stake in power system transformation."

Gonzalez and Steffel were recognized along with employees from Pepco Holdings' Exelon sister utilities BGE, in Baltimore, ComEd, in Chicago, and PECO, in Philadelphia.