One important innovation that promises to contribute significantly to meeting this goal is the use of gallium-nitride (GaN) in power applications. GaN is already an established semiconductor material, employed extensively in LED lighting and increasingly important in wireless applications. Now, with process advances and defect rate improvements, GaN is providing a number of advantages in electronic power supplies that convert electricity between alternating and direct current, change voltage levels and perform a number of functions to ensure the availability of reliable electric power.