LES Strategic Plan 2025 - Report - Page 10
STRATEGIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT
Technology
An increasingly important part of electric utilities’ DNA
Technology continues to shape the ways in which we experience the world around us, and its role in the evolution of the electric grid is no different. The
future grid will be as much digital as it is physical, shaped by a growing network of data, automation and connected systems that inform how energy
is generated, delivered and used. As this shift accelerates, technology will play an increasingly foundational role in strengthening reliability, enhancing
customer experience and enabling a smarter, more responsive utility. While emerging tools like advanced analytics, automation and AI offer exciting
possibilities, LES approaches innovation with purpose. We aim to balance forward-looking exploration with the disciplined, pragmatic approach our
customers expect. The goal is not to adopt technology for its own sake but to ensure it helps us deliver long-term value.
We understand the importance of deploying technology in a very deliberate and timely way — one that is focused on maintaining reliability and
affordability while managing the risks of doing so on behalf of our customers. Technology is playing a foundational role in most investments to improve
the grid. We will continue to adopt the following key principles when introducing innovation and technological advancements into the grid.
We will invest in technology with speci昀椀city
and purpose and use it to create meaningful
value to the people, communities and
businesses we serve in support of our
mission, vision and speci昀椀c goals and not
based on hype or novelty, or simply because
the technology exists.
We will prioritize technologies that meet our
customers’ long-term needs and 昀椀t within a
connected ecosystem. When platforms are
integrated and share insight across
systems and teams, they unlock greater
value: faster service, more targeted
maintenance and smarter investment in
reliability, resiliency and affordability.
We will continue to collaborate with our
customers in the exploration and adoption
of technology. We believe in the power of
partnership and early engagement with our
customers in the successful delivery and
adoption of energy products and services
deriving from technology investments.
Examples of how technology could be deployed in the advancement of our strategic plan goals and objectives:
Service resiliency
We see an opportunity for technology to allow
us to be more proactive in how we strengthen
the grid. Advancements in technology and
data-informed system management tools will
help us better anticipate outages, pinpoint
problem areas more accurately and respond
more effectively when outages occur. Over time,
these capabilities can help us reduce both the
number and duration of service disruptions,
strengthening grid reliability and resiliency.
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Empowered energy customers
We want to be an active part of the shift toward
more informed energy use. By improving how
customers access and understand their energy
data, we can help them make smarter choices
and work alongside them on solutions that
support efficiency, sustainability and cost
management.
Workforce readiness
We want to equip employees with the tools,
information and flexibility to solve problems
and serve customers more effectively. That
means easier access to the data they need, a
stronger voice in improving how work gets done
and systems that are seamlessly integrated
to provide enhanced operational insight. We’ll
also invest in capturing and sharing knowledge
across the organization, so good ideas and
effective practices can scale faster.
