University City Report (PDF) - Charlotte Chamber of Commerce

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI),
arrived in University City in 1987.
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Company Profile: Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)
Located at 1300 W.T. Harris Boulevard, EPRI has been a University City
mainstay for many years. In the early 1980s the independent, nonprofit
organization established its Nondestructive Evaluation Center in URP, but
over time EPRI has expanded its operations to include additional research
and new testing laboratories and facilities.
The organization assembles a team of its scientists and engineers as well
as experts from academia and industry in an attempt to address challenges
associated with electricity. When it comes to electricity, EPRI tackles a variety
of issues, such as reliability, efficiency, health and safety.
EPRI was initially drawn to Charlotte for its proximity to nuclear
generation, which is the main subject of the center’s research. With UNC
Charlotte also nearby, this made University City, along with its accessibility
to the interstates and airport, an ideal location.
“In recent years, with the emergence of Charlotte and the Carolinas as a
center for the nuclear industry and the energy sector, we continue to see this
location as one that brings great synergy among many of the energy and
electricity companies in the world,” said Jeremy Dreier, the senior manager of
EPRI’s corporate communications.
While Dreier noted the ease of access
to the facility, he also pointed out that employees dine and shop in University
City and on some occasions make use of the greenway during lunchtime
breaks. For a unique organization like EPRI, which needs office space as well as
laboratory space, URP was a perfect location.
“The area, including UNC Charlotte, offers a good mix of companies and
research organizations that are progressive, sophisticated, forward-thinking
and generally very good for the Charlotte region,” he said.
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