Energy Management Is a Key Corporate Strategy

Most companies consider energy management to be an essential aspect of corporate strategy, according to Deloitte’s 2015 resources study, published by the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions. The report is based on 600 online interviews with business decision-makers who are responsible for energy management practices at companies with more than 250 employees across all industries.

The study found that 79 percent of businesses view reducing electricity costs as essential to creating and maintaining a competitive advantage, with 57 percent reporting that they now have formal energy reduction goals, up from 46 percent in 2014.

Ninety-three percent of businesses report that they have invested funds in energy management programs over the last three years. Energy management programs account for about 17 percent of their total capital budgets, up from 12 percent in 2014. More than half (52 percent) of companies characterize their energy management efforts as extremely or very successful, compared to 42 percent in 2014.

Other findings include the following:

• Companies are aiming to reduce their electricity consumption by 25 percent on average, up from 22 percent in 2014. Businesses are also giving themselves more time to achieve their reduction goals: 4.5 years on average, compared to 4.2 years in 2014.
• Companies are moving toward self-reliance when it comes to energy supply. A solid majority (55 percent) of businesses say they generate some portion of their electricity supply on-site, up from 44 percent in 2014. Technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) companies (67 percent) and healthcare organizations (65 percent) are leading the trend toward greater self-reliance.
• Twenty-eight percent of business respondents indicate that high-quality energy data and data management exist across the company, compared to 22 percent in 2014. Similarly, 27 percent report that advanced analytical tools are deployed across the company, up from 20 percent in 2014.

This is the Deloitte's fifth annual nationwide resources study.

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