The new core challenges for electric utilities in an increasingly dynamic electric market

Years ago, nobody would have imagined the incredible benefits attributable to the use of electricity. Nowadays it is an essential good that none of us can do without: we are all more or less consumers of electricity. The most interesting point is that in an increasingly competitive market from consumers we are becoming customers. Electricity from an essential commodity is evolving in a product/service. These profound changes require traditional electric utilities to review their strategic positioning in order to successfully face new challenges and to seize the right opportunities. With the aim of analyzing the previous issue, the following thesis is mainly structured in the following sections: -??Chapters 1,2,3 offer an interesting overview of the increasingly dynamic energy world, focusing on the last phase of the value chain: the sale of electricity to the final customer. Starting from the analysis of the major macro trends taking place such as a progressive market liberalization, a continuous digitalization, a new kind of energy consumer and the entrance of new players, the main strategies that can be pursued by the electricity utilities in a constantly evolving market are outlined on a theoretical basis. In particular some new potential business models and basic core competences to be developed are explained. -??Chapters 4,5,6,7 expand in a more practical way the theme of the previous section. The focus on the actual strategy of four electric utilities (Enel, Edison, Engie, Sorgenia) in the Italian market is important to reflect on some potential concrete methods to react to a changing market and to remain competitive. These particular companies have been chosen because, with their diversity, well represent the possible different kind of organization: o??Enel is an historical multinational company symbol of the nationalization of the Italian market; o??Edison is another historical company acquired by the French incumbent EDF; o??Engie in Italy belongs to a business unit of the Big French multinational company, whose brand is relatively young and represents the world largest independent utility company; o??Sorgenia is the first not incumbent company in the Italian free market. -??Chapter 8 provides an interesting comparison of the four electric utilities (Enel, Edison, Engie, Sorgenia) in terms of economic performance, operations and strategy. -??Chapters 9 takes into consideration the English and French market. In particular, an analysis of the most innovative and far ahead players in the energy sector is provided as proof of the international changes and reactions in the electricity market.