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Trust is a high-value currency in the world of utilities. Electric and water companies provide people with essential resources for survival; there’s a significant level of trust involved there.
Meanwhile, the companies themselves have to trust in modern technology to deliver those resources at the quality and scale required in today’s utility-hungry world.
Balance the scales of trust correctly and you could join the Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) at the top of the industry. OUC has won many accolades over the years, including being recognized as a Most Trusted Brand among electric utilities in a nationwide independent survey five times since 2018, most recently in 2025.
“We stand behind our product.”
As OUC’s General Manager and CEO Clint Bullock tells The CEO Magazine, it’s little wonder the company is known as ‘The Reliable One.’
“The genesis of that name comes from our customer surveys,” he says. “The way we respond to power outages has helped us earn that moniker, but it’s without a doubt that reliability is cultural within the organization.”
Florida native Bullock joined OUC in 1989 as a summer intern. He never left.
“I’ve had quite a journey, through strategy, renewables, customer service, key accounts, product services, distribution and transmission,” he says. “And I’ve been CEO for the last eight years. I’m blessed to be here.”
Bullock says 1971 was a turning point in the city of Orlando’s growth.
“And not just because that’s the year I was born,” he says, laughing. “That’s when Disney World came to town, and we’ve just grown and grown from that point on.”
The Walt Disney World Resort now shares the city with another vacation destination, Universal Orlando Resort. Along with Orlando International Airport and AdventHealth, Universal Orlando Resort is among OUC’s largest customers. Bullock says the company’s values do a lot of heavy lifting in order to appeal to customers of all sizes.
“When I became CEO, OUC had its values in single words like reliability and safety – which is our number one priority,” he says. “Reliability should never come before safety, so we went beyond single words and made our top value ‘Make Safety First.’”
Cybersecurity is another focus area for OUC. As technological innovations improve operations, increasingly sophisticated cyber hazards threaten everything Bullock and his team are working toward.
“Cybersecurity is changing every single day,” he says. “You can’t put your guard down. The bad actors are smart, so as CEO, you need to be versed on them and support any advancements that can shut them down.”
It’s the kind of continuous improvement that Bullock says comes with the territory.
“You’ll never hear me say we have the best program or we’ve reached a peak, because you’re never done,” he says.
“You always have new employees, new equipment and new situations. And when it comes to safety, you’re really never done. I believe my journey has helped shape me in those areas.”
As CEO, Bullock has just about delivered OUC’s first-ever 10-year strategic plan. Building on its prior five-year plan, the 10-year strategic plan will help the company go even further in prioritizing its resources.
“One thing I’ve learned about this process is it has to involve the entire leadership team,” he says.
Recently, Bullock and the team completed a series of Strategy 2035 Reveals with all 1,300 employees across the organization to share where the OUC is headed, the challenges ahead, and – most importantly – how every role supports the company’s progress.
“We need to have balance and perspective to understand and support each other. I’m very proud of the strategic efforts we’ve made, including recent approvals for rates and pricing changes that are about to be rolled out. Affordability is a top issue for our customers, along with reliability.”
OUC’s residential and small commercial customers will benefit in terms of affordability, he says.
“Reliability should never come before safety.”
Bullock also highlights Badger Meter’s AMI Water Meter Replacement initiative, which allows for improved usage insights and faster leak detection.
“Metering technology and data have become much more affordable from a residential standpoint and consumers are more engaged with data and their appliances, which are getting smarter all the time,” he notes.
“Our customers are ready for more options, for a demand rate and a time of use rate. We’re starting the rollout this year, and we think that from an affordability standpoint, if customers are prepared to make a few adjustments to their behavior, they should get the benefit of a lower bill.”
Also in the works is a new, AI-based billing projection tool, which Bullock says uses historical data, weather estimates and energy insights from appliance usage to indicate the impact of any changes in power use and suggest ways usage could be reduced or improved.
“I think it’s going to blow some of our customers’ minds,” he says. “I’m really excited about that.”
To make such utility innovations possible, OUC partners with firms such as AI-powered solutions provider Bidgely, which specializes in utilities. OUC’s PeakSHIFT program, which is supported by many of Bidgely’s solutions, provides smarter, fairer rates and helps protect customers from bill shock while achieving grid efficiencies.
Smart appliances also help facilitate energy savings, with the capacity to set timers for the dishwasher or EV charger.
“EVs are now smart enough that you can plug them in and tell them not to start charging until off-peak time,” Bullock says.
“I think it’ll change our industry. That’s why I’m passionate about this mission. While some customers may have questions or be hesitant about change, we’re excited to work with them and provide the information they need.”
“We’ve served our community for more than a century and we look forward to the next century of service.”
The greater-than-ever need for electricity poses a unique challenge for OUC and the industry at large. Bullock believes the answer is to amplify nuclear power.
“If the United States government wants to bring more manufacturing back to the country, that, along with AI and electrification, will need a lot of power, ideally clean. I think nuclear power is part of the solution, whether it’s traditional or small modular reactors.”
Florida is also home to one of the most viable renewables.
“We have an abundance of solar,” Bullock says. “We’re proud of our two-megawatt floating solar retention pond, which is currently the largest in the southeastern United States.”
With an eye on the future and a strong portfolio in the present, OUC’s reputation has made it a known – and trusted – entity among the residents and businesses of Orlando and the broader Central Florida region.
“They know we’re not going anywhere and that we’re going to stand behind our product,” he says. “We’ve served our community for more than a century and we look forward to the next century of service.”
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