Poverty and The Public Utility : Building Shareholder Value Through Low-Income Initiatives

"powerful and alluring to utility corporate executives seeking to strengthen their bottom lines...Monte de Ramos creates a tapestry of strategies, business decisions, actions, and programs that can produce a victory banner for all the players. " —Wally Nixon, Director, Low-Income Programs Entergy Services, Inc.

The low-income population represents a valuable market segment within the utility service territory. Forty-seven million individuals live near poverty, occupying over 35 million households. Together, these households represent 28% of the $159 billion U.S. home energy market. This book illuminates the interaction between poverty and the public utility. Building upon established approaches, Kevin trips the alarm by asking industry participants to carefully consider fresh prospectives. Social workers, regulators, program managers, corporate executives, and even the general public will find common ground within the content of this work.

• Speak the language of corporate executives
• Raise shareholder value through charitable giving
• Reduce operating expenses through community-based outsourcing
• Spur targeted growth within your service territory
• Realize success by funding for your initiatives

Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Part I : An Industry Overview
Chapter 1 : Realities of the Utility Marketplace
Chapter 2 : Evolution of Low-Income Programs
Chapter 3 : Building a Business Case for Low-Income Utility Programs

Part II : Exisiting Programs and Practices
Chapter 4 : Household Subsidies
Chapter 5 : Service Affordability Programs
Chapter 6 : Market Transformation Programs
Chapter 7 : Community Development Initiatives

Part III : Developing Your Low-Income Initiatives
Chapter 8 : Assessing Your Situation
Chapter 9 : From Concept to Reality
Chapter 10 : Designing Your Program
Chapter 11 : Putting It All Together

Index