Utility Regulation, Rates and Tariffs
We have performed analyses on a wide range of issues related to utility regulation and ratemaking, and delivered expert testimony before both state and federal regulatory commissions. Our analyses have focused on:
- Various elements of utilities’ costs of service
- Cost allocations
- Marginal costs of service
- Rate designs
- Advanced ratemaking mechanisms, including performance-based ratemaking, revenue decoupling, capital cost trackers, and other rate adjustment mechanisms
- Regulatory policies in support of energy efficiency and renewable energy
We also have analyzed competitive procurement regulatory policies and practices, and new business and regulatory designs to support investment in utility infrastructure to transmit remote resources. In addition, we have evaluated planning processes and pricing of utilities and regional transmission organizations.
Our expert testimony has addressed issues including the appropriate policy for ratemaking, treatment of utility energy efficiency programs, and procurement of renewable energy credits.
We have provided analysis and/or expert testimony related to utility investment and procurement decisions, and wholesale ratemaking. Our engagements have included reviewing regulations for proposed power resources, creating integrated resource plans, evaluating and approving the results of competitive power procurements, and examining the competitive effects and regulatory treatment of proposed mergers and acquisitions. We also have analyzed implications for property taxation of regulatory treatment of various types of utility assets, designed mitigation measures to address market power and other regulatory concerns arising from transactions, analyzed supporting requests for market-based rate authorities in wholesale electricity markets, and developed cost allocation policies and approaches for transmission investment.
In addition, we have:
- Developed revenue decoupling and complementary rate adjustment mechanisms
- Evaluated regulatory policies related to cost of service items, including test year selection and the appropriateness of different cost recovery mechanisms
- Benchmarked electric utility rates, service quality, and selected elements of revenue requirements
- Evaluated and critiqued econometric models for comparing electric utility costs of service