The Utility of the Future Knows Its Customers.

In 2026, utility leaders and industry experts are coming together to tackle the challenges that define this moment:

The Core Problem

Data sitting in a database isn't knowledge. Utilities have terabytes of information across CIS, GIS, ERP, MDM, and payment systems — but data scattered across 12 different systems can't inform decisions or drive action where it matters most.

A Framework for Action

Every utility initiative follows the same path. Understanding it changes how you approach every challenge.

1

Start with the Objective

Reduce bad debt by X%. Increase program enrollment. Improve C&I satisfaction.

2

Ask the Right Questions

Do you have the data needed to reach that goal? Where are the gaps?

3

Build True Knowledge

Transform scattered data into connected knowledge your teams can act on.

4

Unlock Execution

Teams move faster, AI operates smarter, decisions land with confidence.

If there's a gap anywhere in this cycle, you can't reach your objective.

The Good News: You Already Have What You Need

The data to truly know your customers is already in your systems. You don't need to start from scratch — you need to connect what you have and put it to work.

We're focusing on three domains where KYC creates the most immediate impact:

Theme 1

Affordability From Bad Debt to Customers in Need

Affordability isn't just a challenge — it's one of the biggest threats to utility financial health. With utility debt levels rising nationally, disconnections strain community relationships, and traditional collection methods recover only pennies on the dollar.

There are only 3 ways to solve affordability:

1. Reduce rates

Utilities can't control this. Rates are regulated.

2. Enroll in programs

Budget billing, payment plans, deferrals, assistance programs.

3. Change behavior

Help customers use less so their bills are lower.

Options 2 and 3 both require knowing your customer.

The Shift Utilities Need to Make

Stop waiting until customers are in bad debt. Start identifying customers in need before they hit collections.

Collections are expensive — utilities recover about 30% of what they're owed, and keep only 40% of that after third-party agency fees.

30% Recovery Rate

×

40% Kept After Fees

=

12¢ Per Dollar Owed

What You Need to Know About Your Customers

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Consumption patterns

Are usage levels spiking? Changing seasonally? When do they use the most?

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Payment history & trends

Are they paying late? Skipping months? What's the pattern?

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Program awareness

Do they know about budget billing, payment plans, or assistance programs?

notifications

Behavioral signals

How do they engage with you? Surveys, calls, walk-ins?

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Risk patterns

Group similar accounts to identify at-risk patterns before they escalate.

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Individual context

A customer might match others in two ways but differ completely in seven others.

This knowledge enables utilities to:

1

Spot affordability risk before it becomes collections

2

Enroll the right people in the right programs at the right time

3

Drive behavior change that actually lowers bills

Theme 2

C&I Experiences Designing for Complexity

C&I customers have fundamentally different needs than residential. They operate at scale, face business-critical timing, and have complex requirements. High-value commercial customers need experiences that match their complexity — but you can only design those experiences if you know who they are, how they operate, and what they need.

The problem: Most utilities don't use the data they have about business customers to design differentiated experiences. Everyone from a small pizza shop to a large-scale EV charging network gets funneled through the same manual processes — often requiring a 30+ person team dedicated just to that.

close Without KYC

A growing EV charging network operator is deploying new stations across the service territory. They commission 17 new sites in a single month.

Every site requires a phone call to a key account manager
Information is manually entered into SAP each time
Load studies are coordinated one by one
The same process repeats for the next site, and the next

check With KYC Driving Design

When you know this is a rapidly expanding operator commissioning 17 sites a month, you can design for their reality:

A virtual concierge tailored to their deployment pace
AI handles the entire interconnection request automatically
Load studies and downstream provisioning are automated
New site energization happens in three days instead of three weeks

Know your C&I customers deeply, and you can transform a 38-person manual operation into an intelligent, automated experience that scales with them.

Theme 3

AI Building on Context

Everyone wants AI to support customers, enable their workforce, automate processes, and scale without adding headcount. But AI can't deliver on that promise without KYC.

What AI actually needs to work:

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Unified data across all systems — not siloed

psychology

Structured knowledge it can consume — not raw data

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Organizational objectives for each customer relationship

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Decision boundaries based on customer type and context

The Real Test: Simple AI vs. Enterprise AI

Answering FAQs is easy. The hard part is when AI needs to make a decision.

Should AI waive a fee for this customer? That depends: Are they residential or commercial? High-value or at-risk? First-time issue or repeat request?

Without KYC, AI is guessing. With KYC, it's making informed decisions within the right boundaries — and that's the difference between a chatbot and an enterprise-grade solution.

Ready to Build on KYC?

Utilities are already using KYC to power AI, tackle affordability, and transform C&I experiences. Join focused sessions with peers who are working through the same challenges — and leave with frameworks you can act on.

Exclusive to utility professionals

Get in Touch