Utility Organizational Resilience at the Start of the New Year
By Russ Henderson, Director of Research
A new year invites reflection – not just on what utilities endured last year, but on what they are building for the years ahead.
Since Chartwell’s Organizational Resilience Executive Council (OREC) launched last July, a clearer view of utility resilience has emerged. Resilience is no longer defined by individual plans, checklists, or compliance artifacts. It is increasingly understood as an executive discipline – one that shapes how organizations identify risk, make decisions, communicate under pressure, and coordinate both internally and externally.
OREC discussions consistently highlight the cost of fragmentation. Emergency management, enterprise risk management, communications, operations, legal, and regulatory functions often perform well individually, yet struggle collectively during major events. When these capabilities are not aligned through shared language, clear ownership, and standing governance, decision-making slows and confidence erodes at exactly the moment speed and clarity matter most.
Another recurring theme is the shift from planning to capability. Resilience is not proven by the existence of a plan, but by the ability to execute it. That execution depends on practiced decision responsibility, empowered leaders, exercised coordination, and the discipline to operate with incomplete information. The most resilient organizations focus less on perfect forecasts and more on rapid escalation, adaptive response, and continuous situational awareness.
These themes are captured in the OREC Guideline series – practical, executive-level documents developed from member conversations and real-world experience. Each guideline focuses on a specific resilience capability. Translating discussion into actionable frameworks that utilities can apply to strengthen readiness before the next major event.
Current OREC members can read the latest Guideline here.
OREC conversations also reinforce that resilience is built long before the event begins. Trust with regulators, government partners, emergency services, and customers cannot be improvised in a crisis. Nor can governance rhythms, training programs, or escalation thresholds. These foundations are established through deliberate engagement, regular review, and institutional learning – turning lessons from one event into readiness for the next.
As the year begins, OREC’s message to utility leaders is clear: resilience is not a destination, and it is not owned by any single function. It is a dynamic capability, sustained through integration, exercised leadership, and a commitment to learning – one that must be renewed every year.
To learn more about the Organizational Resilience Executive Council, please contact Tim Herrick.
You may also like these blog posts:
- Why Crisis Communications Is the New Core of Utility Resilience
- Organizational Resilience: Defining, Governing, and Measuring for Strategic Impact
- Navigating Regulatory Expectations: Aligning Compliance, Communication, and Continuous Improvement
