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About Utility Innovations
Breakthroughs That Matter
At Xcel Energy, innovation is not only welcomed and encouraged, but also expected. Xcel Energy's Utility Innovations organization was specifically created to address this need by driving business transformation and developing new--and often groundbreaking--ways to deliver service to our customers. In an industry that is not particularly known for taking calculated risks, the unique role of Utility Innovations is to:
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Find shared solutions to industry challenges;
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Collaborate with partners to test emerging technologies;
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Prepare our energy grid for the future;
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Support customers’ growing needs and digital-age expectations; and
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Continually challenge the ordinary.
History
In December 2003, Xcel Energy brought together its leading technology partners to create the Utility Innovations initiative. The initiative was a visionary project that leveraged the power of partnership and collaboration to drive innovation. Xcel Energy understood that it could create new value for the company, its employees, partners and customers by utilizing the minds and efforts of many, rather than relying on a business-as-usual approach of attempting to find new solutions on its own.
By combining individual partner company strengths in hardware, software and utility industry expertise, Xcel Energy is developing synergies and advancements to benefit utility customers. Taking the best ideas of diverse companies, Utility Innovations looks for solutions to help transform our business by improving operations and customer satisfaction through enhanced system reliability and efficiencies in cost structure.
Today, the initiative has evolved into an Xcel Energy program staffed by project managers who continue to work with Utility Innovations partners. Some of the participants have changed as new companies have joined to begin work on different initiatives. Other partners, their work complete, have left. Like innovation itself, our projects are dynamic and constantly changing.
Milestones & Achievements
Take a closer look at what we’ve accomplished in our first four years: ·
Recognition
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ColoradoBiz magazine named Xcel Energy as one of three finalists for the 2007 Top Company Awards in the Energy/Natural Resources category. The nomination highlighted Utility Innovations and its efforts to bring smart grid initiatives and projects to life.
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CIO Magazine awarded Xcel Energy with its 2007 CIO100 Award, in recognition of Utility Innovation's ability to create new business value through the effective and innovative use of information technology.
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The Colorado Software and Internet Association presented Xcel Energy's Utility Innovations effort with the 2006 Apex Award for "Catalyst of the Year" in recognition of efforts to embrace and accelerate change and challenge the status quo
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The Edison Electric Institute (EEI) recognized Xcel Energy for Utility Innovations by presenting the company with the 2006 Edison Award-the top award in the utility industry. The award, given annually by EEI,honors U.S. investor-owned utilities and international members for outstanding contributions to the advancement of the industry.
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Utility Automation & Engineering T&D Magazine presented Xcel Energy with its T&D Automation "Project of the Year" citing the creation of the Utility Innovations partnership.
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M2M magazine awards Xcel Energy its Gold Award as Top Adopter, noting Utility Innovations' "remarkable work" with a program where "results were clear and immediate."
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