Utilities, Sustainability, and the Rise of Renewables

Sustainability and the rise of renewables are hot topics in the utilities sector, and one of the Top 6 Things Utilities Need to Get Right in 2022.

Sustainability and businesses' impact on the climate are under increased scrutiny from investors, regulators, public authorities, and customers. However, even with over 60% of U.S. electric sales now subject to clean energy commitments, customer awareness of the climate sustainability initiatives of their local electric utilities remains low. Despite a greater corporate push towards Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), the opportunity for utility customer advocacy remains largely untapped.

Our data shows that customer awareness, engagement, and advocacy are key factors in the success of a utility’s sustainability initiatives. Unless utilities bring their customers along, utilities will struggle to achieve their clean energy goals they have put in place for the coming decades.

Customer behaviors need to change to meet clean energy goals – are your customers aware, engaged and participating? Do you understand sustainability customer segments and how to address different segments?

The J.D. Power Sustainability Certification Program can help you answer these questions. While there are multiple sustainability reporting platforms, guidelines, frameworks, standards, indices, and ratings, the J.D. Power assessment leverages data frequently included in other frameworks but has a stronger focus on criteria related to customer engagement and advocacy.

Jim Croce and Milo Twiford are on-site at the EXCx Forum in Phoenix.  Connect with our experts to learn more about the J.D. Power sustainability program.