Each year, the SAP Excellence Awards celebrate those utilities reshaping the future of the industry through a focus on innovation and technology adoption that deepens their commitment to the communities they serve.
Selected by a panel of industry experts from a broad field of public nominations, this year’s awards—revealed at the SAP for Utilities, Presented by ASUG conference (Sept. 8-10; at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver)—honored organizations that are strategically using technology to transform their businesses while empowering employees and communities.
The awards were presented by Jennifer Baldwin, Industry Executive Advisor at SAP in the Utilities Group.
Excellence in Work & Asset Management: Hydro One
Canada’s Hydro One was recognized for an exceptional approach to asset management and operational resilience. Through innovative use of SAP’s work and asset management capabilities, Hydro One has improved the performance and reliability of its vast transmission and distribution network.
By integrating advanced analytics with field operations, the utility has achieved stronger alignment of resources, enhanced workforce safety, and optimized asset performance—delivering long-term value to customers and communities across Ontario.
Reflecting that she started her career at Hydro One as a customer service representative 25 years ago, Baldwin explained, "This utility has strategically advanced operations by transforming distribution lines and business units to SAP Work Manager Cloud and very recently went live with SAP Service and Asset Manager (SAM) for its forestry group."
The project was delivered by PwC and TRC; it involved "seamless user experience for mobile users, enhanced integration with GIS to execute work orders in the field more efficiently, phased rollouts involving 500 SAM users and 2,000 WMC users," said Baldwin. "Both initiatives have [brought about] smoother operations and significantly fewer issues; they've gotten positive feedback from users highlighting enhanced experience and real-time Esri integration as a key success." Next up? Expanding SAM to over 3,000 field workers as part of an upcoming SAP S/4HANA RISE implementation.
Excellence in Customer Service: Southern California Gas Company / Sempra
At the core of every utility’s mission is customer service. Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas)—a subsidiary of Sempra—earned recognition for its steadfast focus on customer satisfaction and engagement.
Leveraging SAP solutions and digital channels, SoCalGas enhanced transparency, improved accessibility, and reduced service resolution times. The utility’s investments not only modernized customer interactions but also strengthened trust and long-term relationships with the millions of customers it serves.
"The effort involved replacing outdated technologies with a robust hybrid customer platform built on SAP S/4HANA, SAP Sales and Service V2, BTP, and Signavio," said Baldwin. "They had a strong collaboration from IT users, business users, the SAP CX organization, and the product teams."
Customer impact has been considerable, with accurate billing, swift service transitions, and seamless digital integration experience across all channels. Per Baldwin, "this modern architecture equips SoCalGas with the agility to meet regulatory requirements and adapt customer expectations."
Excellence in Cloud ERP Migration: Southwest Gas
Cloud migration represents a critical step toward agility and scalability. Southwest Gas earned this award for its seamless and strategically executed move to SAP S/4HANA Cloud. The project not only modernized the utility’s ERP backbone but also enabled greater visibility, efficiency, and adaptability in financial and operational processes. This transformation positions Southwest Gas to respond faster to changing market dynamics and regulatory requirements while driving innovation for its workforce and customers.
"This utility successfully migrated mission-critical SAP systems from an on-premise data center to SAP RISE and AWS," said Baldwin. "They had a focus on scalability, resiliency, and modern cloud capabilities. They partnered with IBM and SAP, and they expertly completed the complex migration in a mere four months, and they did it on time and within budget.
"This modernization led to a 25% performance boost and significant annual O&M infrastructure savings," she added, also noting that Southwest Gas achieved capitalization of their cloud infrastructure, establishing "a strong foundation for future digital initiatives like generative AI, predictive analytics and intelligent automation."
Innovation & Vision Award: Pacific Gas and Electric Company – Propel Program
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) earned the Innovation & Vision Award for its groundbreaking Propel Program.
Designed to modernize operations and prepare the utility for the future, Propel reflects PG&E’s commitment to leveraging emerging technologies and bold strategies. By focusing on scalability, resilience, and customer-centric outcomes, the program represents a transformative vision for utilities navigating rapid industry change.
"Based in California, they navigated regulatory pressures and rising demand, challenges posed that impact utilities across North America; through innovation in key areas, they set a precedent for how others might adopt cloud technology and SAP technology to achieve transformational change," said Baldwin. "This very forward-thinking strategy enriches their operations and sets a new standard for the industry's future."
Utility of the Year – Large Enterprise: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company
Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company (OG&E) was named Utility of the Year in the Large Enterprise category for its holistic approach to transformation. From enhancing customer experiences to investing in modernized infrastructure, OG&E has demonstrated leadership across every facet of utility operations. Its integration of digital technologies with sustainability-focused initiatives underscores the company’s role as a model for the modern large enterprise utility.
"This utility has undertaken one of the industry's most ambitious transformations," said Baldwin. "This journey involved streamlining core operations into a single integrated platform, resulting in faster customer service, smarter grid operations, and enhanced employee collaboration. Some of their key accomplishments include real-time customer updates, predictive maintenance, unified workforce enablement, and sustainability leadership, to be able to make data driven decisions."
Before introducing OG&E, Baldwin concluded "these achievements underscore a model for innovation in the utility sector, showcasing a profound impact of technology and vision."
Utility of the Year – Mid-Sized Enterprise: Eugene Water and Electric Board
For mid-sized utilities, balancing innovation with community-focused service is essential. The Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) exemplifies this balance by embracing digital tools that strengthen operational resilience while remaining deeply responsive to customer needs. As Oregon’s largest public utility, EWEB’s forward-looking strategies position it as a leader in how mid-sized utilities can thrive in an evolving industry landscape.
EWEB "made remarkable strides in serving its community and modeling values such as safety, reliability, affordability, environmental stewardship and community engagement," said Baldwin. "This organization supplies billions of gallons of water and kilowatt hours of electricity annually — and is tackling considerable challenges head-on, modernizing its SAP S/4HANA system and achieving an impressive 94% fit-to-standard from a clean-core perspective."
EWEB "ran a clean implementation while empowering their teams to be able to make decisions in a fast, timely manner," said Baldwin, noting the utility's partnership with Deloitte. "They optimized operations and enhanced customer service; their transformation, completed on time and within budget, has reduced efficiencies and improved data visibility, streamlined processes, and set a new benchmark for innovation in the utility sector."
Purpose-Driven Utility: Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy received this recognition for its unwavering commitment to corporate social responsibility and community engagement.
In addition to its ambitious clean energy goals, the utility has launched programs that directly support vulnerable communities, enhance workforce development, and advance sustainability at scale. By prioritizing purpose alongside performance, Xcel Energy continues to set the benchmark for what it means to be a utility that serves not only customers but also society at large.
Xcel Energy displays a "steadfast dedication to reshaping their operations to benefit their customers, communities and stakeholders," said Baldwin, noting that for example, "in 2024, they awarded $1.4 million to 82 Colorado grantees to promote STEM career pathways, environmental sustainability, and community vitality.
"By leveraging SAP Business Suite as a foundation tool for their finance and customer transformations, they're going to be modernizing their operations to enhance service efficiency and transparency," she added. "Their commitment to that purpose-led innovation amplifies a proactive approach to addressing the evolving demands of the energy transition."
Shaping the Future of Utilities
The winners of this year’s awards represent those utilities pushing boundaries—whether through cloud transformation, customer service, or bold investments in sustainability and innovation.
"We're in this together, we win together, transform together, and—at the same time—we work hard together," added Michael Sullivan, National Vice President - Renewable Energy and Utilities — SAP America, praising the through-line of "resilience" in those utilities celebrated.
Collectively, these organizations demonstrate this industry’s potential to evolve with purpose, resilience, and vision. As utilities transition toward the future of clean energy and innovation, they stand out as exemplars of how technology and leadership can work hand-in-hand to ensure long-term success.