With Great Power Why utilities are consumer product companies now
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Oct 14, 2025 Chris Black, the CEO of GridX and an expert in consumer-product design, discusses the evolving landscape of utilities. He emphasizes the importance of creating user-friendly digital products and how utilities are shifting towards a consumer product mindset. Chris explains GridX's acquisition of InnoWatts and its potential to enhance rate design. He highlights the necessity for utilities to incorporate data analytics and marketing strategies, noting that customer experience will play a pivotal role in transforming the industry.
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From Architecture To Software
- Chris originally planned to study architecture but switched to computer science in college when athletics made architecture impractical.
- He retained an appreciation for form and function that later shaped his product design approach.
Digitizing The Yellow Pages
- Chris worked at Local Matters digitizing the yellow pages and applying geospatial search to business listings.
- That early consumer-facing product work set him on a path into home energy products and utilities.
Rates Are A Strategic Tool
- GridX provides tools for utilities to design, analyze, manage, and enroll customers on rates and programs.
- These capabilities become essential as utilities shift toward program-driven load management.