Management Matters: Monthly Digest of Insights Shared by Your Peers in the Energy Central Utility Management Group – March 17, 2022

Welcome to the Utility Management Group roundup, Management Matters. As always, your fellow group members are paying close attention to utility management trends and sharing their insights. This month’s selection includes information about utility workforce development programs, expanding energy equity, and more. Be sure to like and comment on your favorite posts. Happy reading!

Powering Our Communities Through Opportunity

Calvin Butler

Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/c/pip/powering-our-communities-through-opportunity

Exelon places a high value on its talented team members and emphasizes opportunities for people of color. In this post, Calvin Butler, Senior Executive Vice President and COO at Exelon explains that the company offers more than 65 workforce development programs across its six utilities. These programs strengthen economic security for local communities and earned the highest honor at the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) 2021 Impact Awards for Workforce Development Excellence.

Balancing the Costs of the Clean Energy Transition: The Environmental Opportunities of Decarbonization

Heidi Scarth

Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/o/EPRI/balancing-costs-clean-energy-transition-environmental-opportunities

In this piece, new Energy Central member Heidi Scarth, Engineer/Scientist at Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) notes that EPRI has recently released a publication that evaluates how the energy system has historically impacted the environment, highlights action that has been taken to mitigate those impacts, and discusses future considerations necessary to return to a healthy planet. The report examines the ongoing impacts of fossil fuel generation, the usefulness of traditional cost-benefit analyses, the need to remediate legacy environmental damage, and new opportunities to include all affected communities into the conversation.

Clean Should Mean Affordable: How Smart Clean Energy Policy Can Help Resuscitate the American Dream

Jim Madej

Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/o/franklin-energy/clean-should-mean-affordable-how-smart-clean-energy-policy-can-help-resuscitate

With 61% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck and inflation on the rise, energy affordability is an important topic. In this article, Jim Madej, CEO at Franklin Energy and AM Conservation Group notes that as utilities pursue climate goals, they must also work toward greater energy equity. He offers tips for expanding program participation for low- to moderate-income households: fostering collaboration, earning trust, and incorporating workforce development and training.

Four Rules You Need to Follow to Run a Utility

Bill Meehan

Link to original article: https://energycentral.com/o/esri/four-rules-you-need-follow-run-utility

Utility leaders must take many factors into consideration when making business decisions. Here, Bill Meehan, Director at Utility Solutions Esri suggests that those decisions should be based on four primary rules: make money, keep customers happy, make sure employees are safe and motivated, and stay out of trouble. For example, installing a new cybersecurity system can help a utility avoid a breach, which saves money, keeps customers happy, keeps employees safe, and keeps the utility out of trouble. This item is part of the Business Side of Running a Utility in 2022 special issue.

Thanks again for reading this edition of Management Matters! The authors listed above are eager to hear your thoughts and questions, so don’t hesitate to engage them. And if you want your content to be featured in this spot in future issues, be sure to publish your posts within the Utility Management Community.

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