How Innovative Thinking Is Lighting The Path Forward For Legacy Electric Utilities.

Here’s the billion dollar question – how do you get a utility company that’s stayed in its ways to embrace the kind of innovation that’ll ensure relevancy and success in the future? That’s what executives at legacy utilities across the U.S. are asking themselves as they face greater customer demand and new technologies in an industry that’s historically been saddled with regulation and long-standing processes.

Building a Culture of Innovation from the Ground Up

As VP of Enterprise Solutions at Eversource, Shane Kokoruda believed that big changes were possible if he started with a series of small wins.

One of his first tasks was assembling an innovation team accountable for new ideas and ways of thinking. To support this effort, the team partnered with Everblue—a nimble, scalable innovation and technology firm that could help solve problems quickly without requiring a large upfront investment.

Kokoruda knew creating a culture of innovation wouldn’t happen overnight. With Everblue’s help, he worked to shift the mindset of long-tenured employees and managers, emphasizing that innovation isn’t just about technology—it can be as simple as improving a process.

Turning Small Wins into Scalable Change

One of the team’s first successes came from solving a long-standing safety issue. Substation drawings in the field didn’t always match what engineers saw in the office, creating potential risks.

Their solution? QR codes.

By installing QR codes at substations, employees could instantly access the latest drawings. The team piloted the idea quickly and proved its value.

“You’ve got a lot of brain power at a utility,” said Kokoruda. “So how do you leverage that to come up with better ways of doing things?”

With early wins building momentum, leadership support followed. The team introduced hackathons and ideathons to engage employees, rapidly turning ideas into prototypes.

In less than two years, Kokoruda helped create a scalable model for innovation—one rooted in experimentation, collaboration, and giving employees space to solve problems.

“The key is, you’ve got to create space for innovation,” he said.

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