As I write this, the New Year has just begun, and I am still adjusting to writing 2019 when filling in the date. By the time this issue is in the hands of our readers, the New Year’s celebrations will be long-forgotten. The chatter may have died down about the top industry wins in 2018, but all of us will continue working to address the industry’s most pressing issues. To ensure we are helping electric utilities and other industry partners respond to the greatest challenges they face in 2019, our contributors to this issue discuss the tactics and proven solutions that have worked for them and which just might help the rest of us prepare for what’s ahead.

Customer Engagement – A Must-Have Strategy

Every issue of EET&D we’ve published since I joined the magazine nearly two years ago has had at least one article that touched upon energy customers and their changing behavior. Business publications, marketing blogs and a variety of podcasts frequently remind us of how customers are demanding and expecting more, and how companies must be ever-focused on enhancing the customer experience.

In our industry, we hear so much about energy customers who no longer are “just rate-payers,” but instead are prosumers who want to control how and when they use energy. They want access to smart device that allow them that control. And they want their energy providers to understand how these smart devices work.

In this issue’s “Grid Transformation Forum” Jeff Hamel who is the director of global energy and enterprise partnerships for Google addresses consumers and smart technology. Hamel first lists the questions utilities must ask before they attempt to engage their customers. He then discusses what utilities can do to enhance customer engagement and explains how, not only this will benefit the consumers, but by working through smart technology solutions with end-users, it will improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

Alex Corneglio co-founder of EnergyX Solutions, who wrote this issue’s “Green Ovations” column, also writes about the importance of utilities engaging more effectively with their customers. Corneglio focuses his article on why utilities must include digital communication as part of their customer engagement strategy. Further, Corneglo explains why and how utilities should incorporate personalization into that strategy. As Corneglio points out, it is no longer the time for utilities to think about creating customer engagement programs; it is now time to have those programs already in place.

Roberta Bigliani with IDC also hits on the importance of implementing communications channels between customers and utilities. Writing in this issue’s “The Bigger Picture” column, Bigliani recaps an IDC report that addresses a number of topics, including what the future holds for utilities. According to IDC Energy Insights, the customer experience will always matter. Like Alex Corneglio, the IDC report emphasizes the need for communication between utilities and their customers. What's more, the IDC report backs up Corneglio’s point that utilities recognize that not only do their customers expect their utilities to communicate regularly with them – they also prefer that communication from modern (e.g., digital) channels.

Jeremy Klingel with Black & Veatch sums up a 2018 electric industry report, based on a survey that was issued recently to more than 300 utility, municipal, commercial and community stakeholders. The resulting report discusses what the survey respondents consider the most critical issues haunting the electric sector. In addition to discussing the electric survey questions and responses, Klingel also offers thoughts on what utilities should do to work more effectively — not only with industry regulators — but also with the customers. While the survey did not ask specific questions about customers, Klingel explains the significance of the responses regarding how utilities can better serve energy consumers.

There is no global or national initiative for utilities to embrace customer engagement, but from just the handful of articles I’ve mentioned here, it is evident that, as Roberta Bigliani writes in her article, the customer experience will always matter. For those utilities who are not yet on board with customer engagement programs, there is no limit to online information or other tools to help them get started on creating one.

Powherful Forces in 2019

Last year, when we introduced our “Powherful Forces” column, we profiled three women. For 2019, we are including the column in every issue. I have read about, and in some cases, actually met remarkable industry leaders, who happen to be women. With programs like STEM that encourage young students to learn about math and science, the future looks bright for female executives working in electric energy.

In this issue, we introduce our readers to Kathy Nelson, who, after spending 25 years with Green River Energy, recently joined Ondas Networks. Most of the female industry leaders we featured in 2018 shared stories about how their fathers were influential in helping them decide to become engineers. Nelson was fortunate to be among the powherful forces whose father instilled the value of formal education and who cultivated in Nelson a love for math and science. In describing her experience and the lessons she passes on to professionals looking to work as engineers, Nelson talks about the need to do more than “just show up for work.” To learn about one’s industry, and to be established as one of its leaders, Nelson urges professionals to get involved with trade organizations, read trade journals and attend industry shows. Submit articles for publication, as well as apply to speak at industry conferences. Interestingly, Nelson is not the first person who has given this advice. The others who have shared it also are industry executives. It seems they advise greater involvement in our industry because, having become established as respected experts and energy sector leaders, the advice works.

If you would like to contribute an article or if you have an idea about interesting technology, solutions, or suggestions, please email me at Elisabeth@ElectricEnergyOnline.com.

Elisabeth