Utilities are inherently organizations that require strong, stable, and forward-looking leadership. To balance the myriad of goals, the plethora of stakeholders, and the rapidly evolving landscape in which they operate, the CEOs in our power sector may not have the most enviable job, but they are undoubtedly critical. No doubt, JEA (Florida's largest community-owned utility) has faced its fair share of challenges in recent years, and a key reason the company finds itself on the upswing now is because of the leadership provided by its CEO, Jay Stowe.
As the guest on this episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives Podcast, Jay shares his experience being brought into the CEO role at JEA to guide the ship through choppy waters. Through that experience, Jay can boast about the transformative steps taken to restore trust and align with the community's aspirations. As Florida races against time to meet its sustainability goals, Jay shares how JEA's Integrated Resource Plan aims to balance affordability, sustainability, and reliability for over half a million customers. Jay notes:
"How can we be reliable, resilient, affordable, sustainable? Some of these are pulling us in different directions. But as a community owned utility, we have to keep all of our customers in mind when we're making these decisions. And so through the IRP process, one of the key points that we remind our stakeholders of is that we were operating to choose the least cost option for our customers. Because their utility bill for many of them, may be the second-highest bill that they pay each month. We work hard to manage our costs. And we've started tracking the full utility cost of some of the other areas of Florida. We have the lowest bill for an average customer when compared to those other metro areas. And so that may not always be the case, because there's a competing interest across all of these markets. But we're pleased to be able to manage our cost as efficiently as we can, and as best we can. And then we work with customers who do need help with other non-profit agencies in the community to help support them. We have weatherization programs, and energy efficiency programs. And so the balance of focusing on economic development and helping those that need it the most is what our 2000 employees do every day."
This entry into the podcasts, like all of the series episodes, can be found on all major podcast outlets, including iTunes and Spotify, or it can be listened to directly on the Energy Central platform (where we also feature a written transcription if you'd prefer to read). Give it a listen and share your reaction in the comments.
Episode #138: JEA's Blueprint: Community Trust, Clean Energy, and the Road to 2030 with Jay Stowe, CEO of JEA [an Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast]
About Energy Central Podcast Series:
The 'Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast' Series features conversations with thought leaders in the utility sector. At least twice monthly, we'll connect with a Power Industry Leader to discuss compelling topics that impact utility professionals. Some podcasts may be a continuation of thought-provoking posts or discussions started in the community by an Energy Central Community Member. Others may be with an industry leader interested in sharing their expertise and doing a deeper dive into hot topics or issues relevant to the industry.
If you want to be a guest on a future episode of the Energy Central Power Perspectives™ Podcast, let us know! We'll be pulling guests from our community members who submit engaging content that gets our community talking, and perhaps that next guest will be you! Likewise, if you see an article submitted by a fellow Energy Central community member that you'd like to hear about in more detail, feel free to send us a note to nominate them. To contact us, email community@energycentral.com. Podcast interviews are free for Expert Members and professionals who work for a utility. We have package offers available for solution providers and vendors.
About Energy Central:
Energy Central is a community platform for electric power industry professionals to share, learn and connect in a collaborative environment. Supported by leading industry organizations, our mission is to help industry professionals connect and advance knowledge sharing for the benefit of the industry. We help the industry work better. Join the Energy Central Community today and be part of a growing community of over 200,000 registered members.
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