Situation
A transmission and distribution utility was looking to expand its large-load growth strategy beyond data centers and better position its service territory to attract investment from both existing and emerging industries. Leadership needed a more structured understanding of which industries represented the strongest opportunities, how the region compared with competing locations, and how its economic development organization could more effectively support both new business attraction and existing key accounts.
Approach
CRA developed a large-load customer segmentation and prioritization strategy grounded in the competitiveness of the utility’s service territory and the needs of target industries. We assessed state and regional competitiveness across existing and emerging sectors, evaluated the factors driving industry siting and investment decisions, and developed a framework to prioritize the most attractive opportunities and tailor utility offerings accordingly. CRA also benchmarked peer utility economic development organizations and facilitated workshops with internal economic development staff to assess existing processes, roles, and capabilities and identify opportunities to unlock additional value from the team.
Result
The engagement provided the utility with a more targeted approach to large-load economic development and an internal operating model that integrated new business attraction with ongoing key-account management. CRA also developed supporting marketing materials that articulated the competitiveness of the utility’s territory, priority industry opportunities, and relevant utility offerings, enabling the economic development team to engage prospective customers with a clearer and more differentiated value proposition.