Consumer-owned Utilities as an Energy Career Path: Doing Pretty Well While Doing Some Good Too

It can be hard to find a career path in the energy field that satisfies the urge to make a positive difference while not donning an economic hair shirt. Working for for-profit producers, generators and utilities can require you to put the company's business plan and profits before what might be best for consumers, but working as a consumer advocate can be a tough economic road. A "sweet spot" that even those in the field tend to overlook is working for utilities that are owned by their consumers, either directly through a cooperative or indirectly through a local governmental entity. Because producing profits to satisfy a separate class of shareholders is not required, those working for such utilities can concentrate on a single mission: providing the most reasonably priced, reliable utility service possible while meeting environmental goals. Sue Kelly has spent 30 years working for consumer-owned utilities, and will share her views on why they can provide a satisfying energy career path.

Speaker: Susan kelly, American Public Power Association