Interactive dashboards can provide management with up-to-the-minute information, with data directly connected to reporting and constantly updating the visual, as opposed to traditional reports run by IT on a regular basis for decision-making purposes. Predictive analytics is another area in which business intelligence can benefit utility companies.

For example, predictive analytics can be used in planning for a major storm by looking at similar past outages and understanding the root causes. Finding might lead to pro-active clearing branches or having repair crews ready. Other analytical applications include scheduling preventive maintenance of plants based on past records or understanding customer interactions and behavior in order to improve customer service and satisfaction, thus reducing call volumes in call centers.