There are few industries in Canada that face the kind of scrutiny from customers, shareholders, regulators and other stakeholders that power and utility companies experience.
Delivering reliable, cost-effective and sustainable services in a safe manner is uniquely challenging across Canada's varied geography. The move from centralized, often carbon-based generation and one-way power distribution to two-way, interactive smart grids and the increasing adoption of alternative energy and distributed power generation, poses transformative challenges and opportunities. This is to say nothing of the complex network of regulations that have an impact on the Canadian utilities industry, including some of the most stringent environmental rules in the world. It isn't easy, and the game is always changing.
To be successful, power and utility companies need to have a wide array of effective systems and protocols in place: strong asset and technology management systems, good human capital programs to recruit and retain skilled talent, effective strategies for dealing with fluctuating commodities prices, and a strategic outlook on governance, risk and stakeholder management.