Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)

Overview of the Committee:

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) is the lead advisory committee for the project and is intended to provide project direction, engagement recommendations, technology products, serve as a sounding board for project opportunities and challenges, and help ensure the overall success of the project.

Members:

The TAC is composed of representatives from the California Energy Commission (CEC) and project leads (EPRI and CALSTART), chairs and co-chairs from the other advisory committees, industry experts, and government agency representatives.

Objectives:

• Provide guidance in project direction. The guidance may include scope and methodologies, timing, and coordination with other projects. The guidance may be based on:
  • Technical area expertise;
  • Knowledge of market applications; or
  • Linkages between the agreement work and other past, present, or future projects (both public and private sectors) that TAC members are aware of in a particular area.
• Review products and provide recommendations for product adjustments, refinements, or enhancements;
• Evaluate the tangible benefits of the project to the state of California, and provide recommendations as needed to enhance the benefits;
• Provide recommendations regarding information dissemination, market pathways, or commercialization strategies relevant to the project products;
• Set the project team’s goals and contribute to the development and evaluation of its statement of proposed objectives as the project evolves;
• Provide a credible and objective sounding board on the wide range of technical and financial barriers and opportunities;
• Identify key areas where the project has a competitive advantage, value proposition, or strength upon which to build;
• Advocate, to the extent the TAC members feel is appropriate, on behalf of the project in its effort to build partnerships, governmental support and relationships with a national spectrum of influential leaders;
• Ask probing questions that ensure a long-term perspective on decision-making and progress toward the project’s strategic goals.