Thomas S. Key
Tom Key is a Senior Technical Executive at the Electric Power Research Institute. He has over 30 years experience in energy related R&D in the US Navy, at Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, and at EPRI. He currently manages EPRI renewable generation integration activities. His key areas of study are the photovoltaic and electronic inverter performance, utility ownership models for solar, analysis and tools to understand integration of distributed generation into the electric distribution system.
Prior to assuming his current position at EPRI, Key was manager of renewable generation at EPRI and Vice President of Technology at EPRI Solutions (a former wholly-owned subsidiary of EPRI). He is a founder of EPRI’s laboratory for power quality, distributed generation and end-use applications in Knoxville, Tennessee. Prior to his EPRI career, Key was Manager of RDT&E for a utility grid-compatible interface at Sandia National Laboratories. His work included characterizing high-performance dc/ac inverters and electronic appliances, analyzing effects of power disturbances on sensitive electronic equipment, and developing design criteria and recommended practices for cost-effective application of power-enhancement equipment.
Key holds a Master’s degree in electrical power engineering & management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 1974 and a Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of New Mexico 1970.
Key is a Fellow of the IEEE and nationally recognized in power system compatibility research, integration of distributed and renewable energy resources, application of energy storage and power electronic technologies. He has published more than 150 publications and presented at numerous conferences, forums, and given testimony to the House Committee on Science and Technology Hearing on Energy Storage Technologies.