Terry Sobolewski | President, National Grid Rhode Island
1. What’s been your greatest challenge since taking the job? I think the greatest challenge we have at National Grid today is navigating a highly complex energy landscape across a multitude of priorities. This includes continuing to modernize our infrastructure, meet the evolving needs of our customers and implementing policies that meet a strategic imperative to decarbonize our networks.
2. As company president, to whom do you feel more obligated: shareholders or ratepayers? Why? Customers are at the forefront of everything we do. I believe the most successful and enduring companies are those that focus on creating value for their customers first. When they do that, it ultimately creates positive outcomes for the shareholders as well. ... If we can focus on creating value for customers, everything else will work out. To that end, I also have a deep obligation to our employees. There is no way we can create greater value for our customers if we haven’t ensured a safe, positive, supportive environment for our employees.
3. What do you think National Grid does best? We’re hyperlocal. The passion, commitment and pride I see from our employees when they are serving our customers and doing everything possible to meet their needs is inspiring. We are at our best when we are working for the residents and businesses alongside neighbors and friends in the communities where we serve.
4. What do you think the company needs to improve? We need to be more agile. We need to understand our customer needs more deeply, now and as they evolve. We need to get better at using data and technology to optimize our networks. And we need to do a better job engaging stakeholders and Rhode Islanders on the societal challenges we are trying to solve.
5. Was the company treated fairly by investigators who examined the natural gas outage that hit Aquidneck Island in January? The [R.I. Division of Public Utilities and Carriers] fulfilled its responsibility to investigate and identify opportunities for improvement within the local gas distribution system, many of which we agree with and have been addressing for many months. However, I think there is a strategic issue the report doesn’t confront, which we need to face as a state and as a community. All of us – the state, local communities, key stakeholders, our customers – need to address regional gas supply and reliability to ensure a secure and sustainable energy future for Aquidneck Island and Rhode Island.
