1 southwest renewable energy conference a utility for the 21st century building a sustainable...
TRANSCRIPT
1
Southwest Renewable Energy ConferenceSouthwest Renewable Energy Conference
A Utility for the 21st Century A Utility for the 21st Century Building a Sustainable UtilityBuilding a Sustainable Utility
September 15, 2010
2
City of Fort Collins – 21City of Fort Collins – 21stst Century Century UtilitiesUtilities
• Motivation to shift towards sustainability
• Implementation of 21st Century Utilities Initiative
• Lessons learned
• 2011 and beyond
3
What is Sustainability?What is Sustainability?
4
“Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.”
— UN Brundtland Commission, 1987
5
• Global• National• Local
-Infrastructure-Customer Expectations-Growth to main.-City Council-Green Gap
Motivation to shift towards Motivation to shift towards sustainabilitysustainability
6
““TheThe GreenGreen Gap” Gap” (2007)(2007)
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Reliable service
Accurate bills
Fast repairs/service restoration*
Company you can trust
Quality of Product delivered
Competitive price
Courteous customer service*
Environmentally conscious
Infrastructure security
Programs to help you conserve
Importance
Grade* "Don't know" and "Not used" responses were not included for these two factors as responses require direct interaction with the Utilities.
7
Implementation of Implementation of 2121stst Century Utilities Century Utilities
“We are the people we have been waiting for, and there is no better time than now.”
-MIT’s Vehicle Design Summit, 2007
88
FrameworkFramework
Plan-based, analytically rigorous…•Project Structure•GRI+•Plan Development & Implementation
99
Sustainability Purpose Sustainability Purpose
Inspiring community leadershipby reducing environmental impact
while benefiting customers,the economy and society.
10
Project StructureProject Structure
•Leadership/Corporate Sponsors•Core Sustainability Team•Stakeholder involvement/advisory panel
11
•Widely accepted sustainability reporting framework
•Identifies specific/standard economic, environmental, social metrics
•Increased level of accountability/transparency
•1st Municipal Utility to report
Global ReportingInitiative (GRI+)
12
Plan Development & Plan Development & ImplementationImplementation
Four Issue Teams: Culture
StakeholdersTriple Bottom Line
Workforce
13
1. Culture: A cultural transformation that embeds sustainability must be achieved throughout the organization.
-Cultural Values Assessment
-ONE Planet Employee Incentive Program
-Benchmarking presence of sustainable practices in Utilities policies &
procedures
2121stst Century Utilities Century Utilities Issue Teams Continued…Issue Teams Continued…
14
2121stst Century Utilities Century Utilities Issue Teams Continued…Issue Teams Continued…
2. Stakeholders: Stakeholders must be inspired, educated and motivated.– Developing incentives for small/mid-size
businesses to address energy & water efficiency
– Incorporated internal & external thematic communication for media, advertising, and website
15
2121stst Century Utilities Century Utilities Issue Teams Continued…Issue Teams Continued…
3. Triple Bottom Line (TBL): Business practices that balance economic, social and environmental considerations must be optimized.– Developed Wiki site for additional employee
resources
– Developed tool called TBLAM that can assist staff to incorporate TBL analysis into decision-making processes and offered training City-wide and to external stakeholders.
16
2121stst Century Utilities Century Utilities Issue Teams Continued…Issue Teams Continued…
4. Workforce: The Utilities workforce must be empowered, engaged and supported.– Developed format & coordination of
Information Sharing Meetings for employees
– Sustainability embedded in HR, Purchasing and Performance Management
17
Program Prioritization:Program Prioritization:“The Next Best Dollar Spent”“The Next Best Dollar Spent”
Optimization Model
Existing PrioritizedPrograms
Potential NewPrograms&
Prioritized Set of Programs to
Achieve Goals
18
Lessons LearnedLessons Learned
• Take time to refocus
• Recognize and respond to changing political, economic and work climates.
• Allow for on- and off-boarding
• Stay the course
19
““Green Gap” Filled (2009)Green Gap” Filled (2009)
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Reliable service
Accurate bills
Company you can trust
Fast repairs/service restoration*
Quality of Product delivered
Competitive price
Courteous customer service*
Environmentally conscious
Infrastructure security
Programs to help you conserve
Importance
Grade* "Don't know" and "Not used" responses were excluded for these factors as response requires direct interaction with the Utilities.
20
2011 and Beyond2011 and Beyond
• Increased stakeholder engagement
• Method for governance
• Improve links between strategy and implementation
21
Questions?Questions?
Tiana SmithFort Collins Utilities
http://www.fcgov.com/utilities/gri.php