De-Risking and Accelerating Innovation Inside Regulated Utilities

Опубликовано: 01 Сентябрь 2026
на канале: Energy Central

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The greatest weapon we possess to combat climate change is innovation. But innovating inside regulated utilities can be challenging. Utilities are highly complex organizations which exist within equally complicated regulated landscapes with a goal to deliver safe, affordable, and reliable power. How can innovation fit within this context? This panel discussion brings together a mix of innovation leaders spearheading change within their utilities alongside world renowned innovation expert Dr. Linda Hill, HBS professor and author of Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation.

In this “round robin” style discussion, we dive into the following questions that are top of mind with today’s leaders of utility innovation programs:

What is innovation? Is “innovation” getting a “bad rap” inside utilities? How can I position transformation effectively to get backing and engagement?
How do we create a bridge the future by working closely with the following groups:
Customers
Employees
Operations
Finance
IT
Regulators (how to involve, what is their role in innovation?)

Innovation is a human-based team sport. How can we build innovation cultures of high-performing teams?

What role can non-engineers, our customers and employees play in the innovation discussion?

How can we scale innovation it to reach everyone – to promote the most diversity thought, establish a marketplace of ideas and reach all employees and partners?

Digital transformation is a key component of our innovation program, how do we get the data, digital teams on board?

We have project management teams and trackers inside our organization, why is innovation management different? How can I move our organization beyond the spreadsheet?

What KPIs or metrics should we track in our innovation program?

PANEL:
Allegra Hodges, Head of Strategic Innovation, Portland General Electric
Linda Hill, Co-Founder of Paradox Strategies, Harvard Business, School Professor
Robin Lanier, Managing Director, New Ventures, Southern Company
Chris Hilborn, Vice President, Customer Insights and Solutions, Liberty Utilities
Morgan Steacy, Vice President, Account Management, MA, National Grid
Heather Rock, Senior Director Strategy, Pacific Gas and Electric
Kim Getgen (Moderator), Founder and CEO, InnovationForce