Energy Services managers strive to meet customer needs

by Ron Horstman

When Peggy Plate is in her office more than a few days a week, she gets restless and misses her customers. Plate has been the RM Energy Services manager for about 20 years and has fostered relationships with her customers that resemble family ties.

Energy Services managers plan better ways to provide technical assistance to their customers.

Managers concentrate on relationships

The mission of Western's Energy Services managers is to maximize the benefits of Federal power to customers. It's a mission that requires Western's Energy Services program to constantly evolve to provide state-of-the-art technology in a changing marketplace, offer resources to improve customers' energy efficiency, renewable energy and competitive positions. ES managers also help customer utilities meet their conservation and marketing needs by developing relationships and finding effective, innovative ways to structure their programs and maximize resources. Energy Services managers also serve as liaisons between our customers and Western.

ES helps customers with strategies

When I was a Western power customer in Iowa, I depended on my Energy Services representatives Greg Vaselaar and Diane Noennig to keep me informed on available tools that could maximize my customer services resources. Today, I find myself on the other side of that relationship, finding more and better ways to help our Energy Services folks meet the needs of our customers. During Energy Services team meetings, we brainstorm about ways to improve and market our existing technical services, while creating new approaches to help customers achieve their goals.

Because our customer base is so diverse, and the needs of our customers vary greatly over our vast geographical territory, the Energy Services managers' jobs require continuing education and a broad understanding of many technologies and issues. Most of all, they require a desire to serve our customers.

Partnership puts programs in hands of decision makers

Western's Energy Services program encourages energy efficiency activities that maximize resources while considering environmental, economic, and social issues in a manner that benefits the public. It also seeks to evaluate and explore energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and provide resources to help improve customers' competitive positions.

The ultimate value of the Energy Services program is to foster healthy, vibrant, growing economies in each of our customer service territories through sound energy management decisions. The successful partnership between Western and its customers has put viable programs in the hands of energy use decision makers for the benefit of thousands of consumers.

The changing mission

Energy Services programs have shifted dramatically over the last three decades. After the oil embargo of the 1970s, the United States realized the need for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Many utilities conducted consumer education programs to help their customers make wise energy choices, thereby strengthening local, state, and national economies.

Then deregulation entered the arena, and almost everyone in the utility industry thought it was more important to be competitive in pricing—sometimes sacrificing their Energy Services programs.

The events in California during the last two years helped many utilities recognize the important role that Energy Services programs play. Many of the same utilities that were intent on being lean and mean by cutting costs, are now reestablishing those programs.

Credibility depends on effectiveness

Although the volatility in the marketplace and the ever-changing competing technologies make for a challenging technical environment, providing effective Energy Services remains a priority for Western.

Contact your local Energy Service representative to find out how we can help you become more efficient.

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