What Bold Utility Leadership Looks Like — Lessons from the Front Lines of CX and Emergency Preparedness

The utility industry is undergoing one of its most transformative periods—driven by regulatory shifts, rapid tech advancement, and changing customer expectations. To help address these challenges, Utility 2030 Collaborative (U2030) and Energy Central launched “Rethinking Utility Priorities: Bold Utility Leadership,” a year-long research initiative sponsored by HSI. Insights as part of this project are gathered through executive interviews, interactive webinars, surveys, and research – with final findings and results encapsulated in a white paper and in a special session at the Utility 2030 annual SPARK event.

This two-part blog series shares snapshots from interviews conducted with executives in electric, gas and water utilities, offering utility leaders a sneak peek into preliminary findings and a look at how their peers are rethinking customer experience, emergency & outage preparedness, technology, workforce & leadership, and innovation in real time.

Customer Experience: From Engagement to Participation

The energy transition can’t succeed without customers. That’s not just a sentiment—it’s a strategic imperative. Utilities are shifting their mindset from simply engaging customers to actively encouraging, or even, driving participation. It’s not just about engagement anymore. The energy transition happens only if customers actually participate—whether it’s energy efficiency, water conservation, demand response, or a suite of other programs.

Digital tools and new customer programs are instrumental in customer engagement. From enhanced mobile apps to AI-powered segmentation and messaging, utilities are crafting personalized experiences that align customer needs with the right programs.

But don’t forget the basics, they still also play a role. Bill inserts, community events, advertising, and the human voice on the other end of the line remain vital. One utility shared that their customer service reps send handwritten thank-you notes—a small act that’s making a big impression.

And it’s not just the CX team driving these changes. Customer focus is being considered in other operational areas – departments that did not consider CX much in the past.  For example: how implementing a new Outage Management System (OMS) will impact customers both during the implementation phase and in the state of operation.

Emergency & Outage Preparedness: Planning for Gray Skies

While outage management has long been a core focus for utilities—with many following formal Emergency Operations Plans based on FEMA guidelines—today’s realities are pushing these plans further. The traditional distinction between “blue sky” and “gray sky” roles within the organization still holds, but the stakes have changed with climate change forcing the recalibration.

For many utilities in the western and southwestern U.S., wildfire risk has become a dominant driver of planning and operations. This shift is influencing how utilities staff, deploy, and prioritize—from vegetation management and asset inspections to public safety power shutoffs.

At the same time, utilities are reassessing the resilience of their core systems. Many are investing in upgraded Outage Management Systems (OMS), realizing that legacy platforms often don’t scale effectively when storm intensity or incident complexity grows. Others are focusing on improving real-time communication with field crews, ensuring that frontline teams can respond quickly and safely during dynamic conditions, ultimately shortening the duration of outages.

Water utilities are also recognizing the need for more robust emergency response strategies.  For instance, if the power goes out and pumping stations fail, water may not be available to fight fires.

And while tools and systems are evolving, communication remains one of the hardest pieces. What do we say? When do we say it? And how do we ensure accuracy when things are changing minute by minute? While there’s no perfect solution to solve every situation —better tools, cross-agency coordination, and pre-scripted messaging are helping utilities respond faster and more effectively.

Coming up in Part 2: How utilities are tackling the complexities of the energy transition, investing in innovation, and rethinking workforce leadership for long-term sustainability.

We are still seeking insights from others in the industry

To enhance our research, we could still use your help!  We are seeking insights as part of our research initiative – Your participation in our Rethinking Bold Leadership survey - take the program’s survey here; for every completed survey we are making a $5 donation to the Fallen Lineman Foundation. 

Rethinking Priorities: A Bold Approach to Utility Leadership:

Is a year-long research initiative from U2030 and Energy Central. This program provides executives with actionable insights to navigate shifting industry priorities.

Through research reports, virtual discussions, and a panel at the U2030 Annual SPARK Meeting, we are poised to help utility leaders assess, adjust, and realign their focus as the market evolves.

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