CEO’s Report: Planning for your utility’s future

Your utility likely has a plan for maintaining infrastructure and budgeting for large purchases.

But do you have a long-term plan for the future of your utility?

Capital improvement and asset management plans are essential, but they’re only part of the bigger picture.

What is the direction of your utility? What are the long-term goals? What are the values of your utility? What outside factors could impact your utility’s future success?

New guide helps outline plan

The American Public Power Association released a new guidebook that provides the tools and insights to help public power utilities create a strategic plan. Strategic Planning in Public Power: Creating a Guide to Enduring Success, is available in the APPA product store. It provides tools and insights to help public power utilities create a strategic plan that aligns with community values and expectations.

The guide was written by Steve VanderMeer, an executive consultant with over 35 years of experience working in and around public power.

The guide provides a straightforward, eight-step model that is accessible and effective for public power utilities of all sizes. In a recent APPA podcast, VanderMeer said while he is pleased with the number of utilities that have a strategic plan, it is still typical for small utilities to be without one.

Heartland plan

Heartland Energy updated our strategic plan last year, defining our purpose and the strategies we can use to ensure a successful future.

We engaged customers throughout the planning process, ensuring our goals aligned with the needs of the communities we serve.

We use the plan as a guiding force for the decisions we make. We continually monitor the progress of our goals to ensure effective implementation.

The guidebook is available to APPA members at a cost of $75. All Heartland customers are members of APPA and will receive discounted pricing.

I encourage you to check this resource out and use it to chart the course of your utility’s future.