Jimmy Jia

Energy plays a central role in shaping our society and infrastructure, making it increasingly important for today’s leaders to understand the impact of energy decisions. Discussions about energy often neglect important historical lessons about previous energy transformations and provide inadequate consideration of context – this talk takes a fresh approach by exploring the emergence of energy systems, outcomes, and priorities. It highlights select historical events, current challenges and developing trends to inspire innovations for a better future.

Learn a new approach to manage and forecast the utility line-item with a “Chief Utility Officer” in the office of the CFO. The person develops a resource strategy, manages the utility budget, and leads activities between product owners, facilities, procurement, finance and marketing. Under this approach, energy is treated as a critical resource that drives revenue. Leading companies have improved their financial strength without spending additional money, representing an untapped opportunity to improve profitability.

Energy and utility resources can become a blind spot for an organization. Frequently, we are passive consumers, assuming it will always be there and rarely do we have a plan for when it’s not. Reducing costs and increasing resiliency both depend on a grasp of a company’s exposure to energy volatility and equipment lifecycle while meeting customer needs. Companies that have become proactive consumers of utilities have created product innovations, positioning their companies for future growth.