Most energy managers believe that the vendors and providers in the current energy services space aren’t capable of providing guidance on the full spectrum of challenges and solutions relevant to large organizations, the company notes in its report. A full 41 percent of companies surveyed cited the lack of a credible partner as a major barrier to new investments in energy.

That means negotiating more consistent prices across multiple sites. It also means, however, keeping on top of energy policies and incentives and helping companies evaluate whether investments in energy storage or clean power technologies such as solar or wind make sense for a client.