The challenges of 2020 are a true test of American business leadership especially in our regulated electric and gas utilities with an “obligation” to serve.

What should the CEO of a post COVID-19 electric utility focus on in 2021 and beyond? The future depends on decisions made between two dramatically different scenarios 

• a utility that will be acquired either by design or default or
• a utility that wants to remain independent or seeks to acquire other utilities.

Utilities that will be acquired can continue “business as usual.”  They will work to prudently meet the day-to-day and seasonal challenges of operating a safe, reliable, and affordable utility and wait for the friendly or hostile takeover offer. Offers for small to mid-sized, non-nuclear investor owned utilities will be numerous and competitive in the years to come. Large domestic and foreign utilities with strong CEOs and leadership teams, robust renewable generation portfolios or plans, and healthy balance sheets are likely performing their due diligence on publicly available information… right now.