Utilities Kingston Shares Strategic Plan for 2021-2025

Published on: 2021/06/30 - in Releases

RELEASE — Utilities Kingston is pleased to share its five-year strategic plan, for 2021-2025.

For more than 150 years, Utilities Kingston has proudly provided the local community with safe and reliable utility services, starting in 1847, when it was known as the Kingston Gas Light Company.

The goals and initiatives set out by Utilities Kingston over the next five years respond to changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic and a desire to foster the relationship with its Shareholder, the City of Kingston. The utility company is also guided by aspirations to better meet customer expectations, manage assets to benefit the local community, and take climate leadership action.

Utilities Kingston’s strength lies in its highly skilled cross-functional team and it counts on its employees to deliver on these goals and initiatives.

“Our employees have a diverse set of skills, knowledge, and talents and enjoy a high level of collaboration between groups”, says Jim Keech, president and CEO of Utilities Kingston. “Together, they take pride in supporting a large network of multi-utility infrastructure. I am confident our company is well-positioned to deliver on this strategic plan.”

THEME AREAS AND STRATEGIC GOALS, 2021-2025

Theme 1: Impact of COVID-19 over the next five years:

The COVID-19 pandemic is shaping organizations in ways never seen before.

As people in highly populated areas are expected to head to less-populated regions of the country, this could provide growth opportunities for the municipality of Kingston.

Utilities Kingston is committed to supporting employees, customers, and its Shareholder, as it ensures health and safety, and the reliable delivery of basic utility services.

Theme 2: The pivotal relationship with the City of Kingston:

The relationship between Utilities Kingston and its Shareholder, the City of Kingston, is at the heart of its unique multi-utility model. It’s resulted in solid asset management practices, low costs for utility consumers and superior customer service for the community.

By working together, and sharing an understanding of needs, the organizations are poised to best support community goals. These include the City’s growth, development, and climate change goals, and further strengthening the unique, local multi-utility model.

Theme 3: Networking business:

COVID-19 has put a spotlight on the criticality of internet access. Whether to stay in touch with family and friends, access public services like health care and education, or run a business and work from anywhere, nearly everyone relies on high-speed internet every day. Meanwhile, equitable access to the internet is essential to ensuring the social and economic success of communities across the world, including Kingston.

Theme 4: Meeting customer expectations:

Consumer values are changing. Utility customers of the future will demonstrate increased care for the environment, will want to buy “sustainable” products and services and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and will desire innovative approaches to revenue generation, technology interfaces and rate mitigation.

Theme 5: Asset management:

By monitoring and responding to community needs, Utilities Kingston’s asset management plans can help create new local economic development opportunities and provide enhanced services for residential, industrial, and business customers.

Theme 6: Climate action leadership:

Utilities Kingston shares the City’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and remains its committed partner in being a climate action leader.

Energy and water systems are increasingly affected by extreme weather events due to climate change, so all utility companies must increase the pace, scale, and scope of efforts to ensure safe and reliable water and energy delivery.

To view the complete strategic plan, including 13 strategic goals and 31 initiatives, visit utilitieskingston.com/Corporate/AboutUs, where you will also find a link to the Kingston Hydro Strategic Plan, 2019-2024.


Release: Utilities Kingston via City of Kingston