The Southern Company SO and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) have recently joined forces to launch the Emerging Technologies Pilot (ETP) Program to provide innovative solutions in the energy sector that are both efficient and sustainable. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between cutting-edge startups and the energy industry, ensuring that promising new technologies are swiftly validated and integrated.

This collaboration will make use of Southern Company's expertise in delivering energy to homes and businesses while drawing on EPRI's experience in linking startups with energy providers through its Incubatenergy Labs program.

SO’s ETP Program to Accelerate Innovation

Many corporations struggle with the complications of implementing new products or services and want to speed up the time it takes to gain value from new technologies. Speeding up this time-consuming procedure to gain more value will create a structured environment where startups can showcase their solutions, undergo rigorous testing and gain traction in the energy market. The collaboration will address this speed-up process by streamlining pilot selection, enhancing resource utilization and reducing risk.

Under this program, Southern Company will pinpoint key strategic and operational needs, while EPRI will leverage its vast network and technical expertise to connect with companies offering technologies that will align with their goals. Using EPRI's research and insights, Southern Company will identify and advance the most promising concepts for future development.

A Future of Reliable, Affordable and Resilient Energy

With the ETP Program, Southern Company aims to stay at the forefront of energy innovation, ensuring its customers benefit from cleaner and more efficient power solutions. EPRI’s commitment to research and rapid deployment aligns perfectly with this mission, fostering a collaborative approach that benefits the entire industry. This partnership represents a major step toward a future where emerging technologies seamlessly integrate into the energy landscape, delivering reliability and affordability to all.

SO’s Zacks Rank and Key Picks

The Southern Company deals with the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity and serves approximately nine million customers through its seven electric and natural gas distribution units. Currently, SO has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Investors interested in the utility sector might look at some better-ranked stocks like EDP, S.A. EDPFY, United Utilities Group PLC UUGRY and Ameren Corporation AEE. While EDP and United Utilities currently sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) each, Ameren carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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EDP ranks among Europe's major electricity operators, as well as being one of Portugal's largest business groups.

United Utilities was created from the merger of North West Water and Norweb in November 1995, and its principal activities are managing and operating the regulated electricity distribution, water and wastewater networks in northwest England. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for UUGRY's 2025 earnings indicates 92.86% year-over-year growth.

Ameren Corporationis a utility company that generates and distributes electricity and natural gas in Missouri and Illinois. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEE's 2024 earnings indicates 6.70% year-over-year growth.

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Ameren Corporation (AEE):Free Stock Analysis Report

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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