Kurt Adams is the president and CEO of Summit Utilities. Before taking leadership at Summit in 2015, Adams led energy development at SunEdison and First Wind, which SunEdison acquired in 2015. Before that, he was Maine’s primary energy regulator and chief legal counsel to then-Gov. John Baldacci.
Adams holds a bachelor’s from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York; a master’s from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maine Law School in Portland, Maine.
Has Summit ironed out the glitches that followed the acquisition of CenterPoint and Arkansas-Oklahoma Gas?
Yes — we’ve made tremendous progress since the acquisition, and the results speak for themselves. Our average call answer time is down to seven seconds, well below the industry norm. We’re resolving issues 32% faster than in 2023, and call volumes have dropped nearly 70%, showing we’re solving customer needs before they even pick up the phone. And when they do, our Arkansas- and Oklahoma-based customer service team is trained, empowered and ready to help.
Serving both ratepayers and investors can be conflicting. In light of this, how do you measure Summit’s success?
At Summit, success starts with putting people first — our customers, our team members and our communities. That shows up in real ways: our customer satisfaction scores are above industry averages, and we’ve once again been named one of the best places to work in Arkansas. Every day, our folks in trucks are out there keeping our system safe and our communities warm — that’s the heart of what we do. When our people are supported, they deliver for customers, and when customers are well-served, it builds the trust and stability that benefit our communities, regulators and investors. That’s what success looks like.
How does Summit plan to meet the demands of customers in the next 10 years?
The next decade will bring growth and change, and our job is to stay ahead of it. That means investing in safety and reliability, supporting the people who keep our communities warm and leaning into innovation. We’re already using AI and new technologies to better predict demand, strengthen our system and improve the customer experience. And we’re adapting to new needs — whether from families, data centers or lithium mines — while working with the state to ensure policy keeps pace.
How is Summit building a sustainable energy future?
For us, that means taking practical steps today that make a real difference tomorrow. We’re helping businesses use energy more efficiently, cutting methane emissions through aggressive leak detection and repair, and innovating to turn organic waste into renewable natural gas. We’re also adapting and working with the state of Arkansas to ensure policy keeps pace.
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