Six-month program coadministered by NLR supports adoption of energy innovation across housing, utilities, and commercial infrastructure
Tucson, AZ – The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2), a $55 million energy technology program funded by Wells Fargo & Company and coadministered by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), formerly known as NREL, has selected Tucson Electric Power (TEP) as one of eight organizations to participate in the second Scalable Tech track cohort.
Over the next six months, IN2 will provide participants with practical adoption strategies, expert support, and access to validated startup energy solutions designed to strengthen reliability and improve performance across housing, utilities, commercial infrastructure, and multifamily real estate sectors.
“As an organization committed to safety, reliability, and resilience, we are eager to leverage IN2’s expertise and network to explore emerging resilience technologies and techniques,” said Dallas Dukes, Senior Vice President of Customer and Strategic Affairs at TEP. “Through this collaboration, we aim to address our community’s need for resilient energy solutions.”
The Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2) is a $55 million energy technology program funded by Wells Fargo & Company and co-administered by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies. IN2 advances innovative energy solutions from concept to commercialization.
By bridging the gap between cutting-edge startups and market adopters, IN2 fosters collaboration across a growing ecosystem—convening entrepreneurs, industry stakeholders, and research institutions. Through this networked approach, IN2 accelerates real-world implementation and scaling of transformative technologies in the built environment and infrastructure sectors, driving a more resilient, adaptable future.
TEP will explore microgrids, or technologies that allow community centers and other key locations to stay in power during grid outages. The team will study how they benefit the Tucson community and the grid, both during emergencies and during normal operations.
“These organizations are eager to demonstrate the value of pairing market demand with scalable, real-world energy solutions,” said Sarah Derdowski, IN2 program manager at NLR. “From affordable housing to grid modernization, our goal is to accelerate adoption of technologies that address today’s pressing challenges while creating replicable models for widespread scaling.”
By the end of the six-month educational program, each organization will be paired with a curated, de-risked startup technology and develop a detailed adoption strategy. These strategies will be presented in a reverse pitch competition, where participants have the opportunity to receive up to $250,000 in Wells Fargo funding to support short-term pilot projects in collaboration with their selected startup and NLR experts.
“As seen by the geographic and market industry diversity of this cohort, there is broad demand for innovation technologies that help organizations navigate increasing energy and resilience needs,” said Jeffrey Schub, head of sustainability at Wells Fargo. “Our support of IN2 and the Scalable Tech track brings together the innovators and solutions seekers to help move a small business’ proof-of-concept towards a scalable market growth.”
For more information, visit www.in2ecosystem.com.
