5 Ways Public-Private Partnerships Enable Community Visions — No Matter What Size

When it comes to size, Dallas County and Elmore County couldn’t be more different. With 2.5 million residents and 56 facilities, sprawling Dallas County is a giant compared to Elmore County’s 81,000 residents and six facilities.

Infrastructure Improvements: Time, Money and Expertise Needed

Regardless of size, mission-focused officials often aren’t equipped to organize the multiple disciplines, professions and experts necessary to take-on major infrastructure projects. Ultimately, communities typically lack at least one of three critical resources necessary to carry out holistic infrastructure improvement: time, money and expertise. These struggles may cause them to remain “stuck” in a deferred maintenance trap that only worsens over time.

Nationwide, many counties and municipalities of all sizes are stuck in a similar rut. In today’s increasingly complex world, multiple projects often compete for funding, leaving officials struggling to balance short-term needs against long-term planning. As a result, most local government entities can’t keep up with the growing list of infrastructure maintenance needs. Consider that in the last fiscal year, 44% of county officials reduced and/or eliminated programs and services because of budget constraints, according to the National Association of Counties’ 2016 survey.

But as Dallas and Elmore officials learned firsthand, whether your community is big or small, working with an energy services company such as Schneider Electric on an innovative, energy-saving funding solution can free you from the deferred maintenance trap — and enable your vision.

Five reasons to partner with an energy services company— no matter what your size:

1. Leverage private expertise. More than 70 percent of governments and utilities see public-private partnerships as key to developing smart cities, according to Black & Veatch’s 2016 Strategic Directions: Smart City/Smart Utility report. That’s because innovative infrastructure upgrades are difficult to address for the increasingly resource-strapped public sector. Working with a partner like Schneider Electric creates more efficient procurement and lifecycle management with a focus on customer service.

2. Escape the deferred maintenance trap. Many communities aren’t able to make necessary infrastructure upgrades because budgets are too constrained. Working with a partner taps into undiscovered sources of funding, such as rebates. What’s more, Schneider Electric’s capital recovery and reinvestment programs mean energy savings can be leveraged to make capital improvements over longer payback periods — without the need to seek tax increases.

3. Use more efficient project management. Often the hardest part about infrastructure upgrades is managing all the contractors involved. Working with a trusted partner means transferring all of that project management responsibility to a single source— where the buck always stops. That way, your staff can focus on what they do best: keeping your community running smoothly.

4. Enjoy guaranteed savings. Partnering on a capital recovery and reinvestment program doesn’t just create the capital needed to do critical upgrades. It also comes with a guarantee of savings. If those savings aren’t realized, Schneider Electric writes a check for the difference. Guaranteed. It’s a true guarantee that’s backed with integrity.

5. Create local jobs. Many communities believe in employing local small business enterprises and encouraging diversity. Schneider Electric prides itself on working directly with a diverse set of local contractors whenever and wherever possible to help communities meet those goals. Spurring local economic activity is often a byproduct of a sound partnership in implementing these modernization projects.

To learn more about our solutions for local governments, visit www.schneider-electric.us/enable.