Understanding gas & electric utility rates and their relationship to utility profits doesn’t have to be confusing.

Master the fundamentals of energy rate-making and learn the financial and accounting differences between regulated and unregulated businesses with this comprehensive course. This is a "must" seminar for anyone who is new to the utility industry or who is impacted by the utility rate-making process. View Past Seminar Attendees

What You Will Learn:

1. Plain English explanations of numerous gas & electric regulatory terms and concepts, and how the federal and state rate-making process works.
2. How gas & electric rate-making practices vary between investor owned utilities, municipal utilities, coops, and how these rate practices impact unregulated energy marketers.
3. The jargon used in the regulatory process, so that you can understand each step of a rate case.
4. Why utilities file rate cases and the types of analyses they conduct to support their proposals.
5. The difference between cost of service and market-based pricing, and how these rates are applied.
6. How various federal and state rate case procedures work, and how they differ.
7. What the different cost components of the base rate case are, and how they are determined.  
8. The financial drivers for regulated utilities and how they differ from unregulated businesses
9. How to improve utility profitability through the rate-making process. 
10. How different types of pricing structures are designed within rate proceedings

You Will Also Learn:

1. The specifics of various natural gas and electric rate structures; how to read a tariff; and how to analyze a gas & electric bill. 
2. What rate structures benefit customers and suppliers, and when. 
3. How rate structures are designed and applied in deregulated environments.
4. How to calculate comparisons between regulated and deregulated supply procurement.

Seminar Agenda

Day One (Morning - 4 hours):

• Conduct a thorough review of the gas & electric industries from a regulatory perspective.
• Discuss the major regulatory changes that created the energy marketplace of today.
• Review the fundamental concepts of gas & electric rates and rate-making in detail. 
• Explain how rate base and rate of return are determined.
• Discuss how items are categorized as operating expenses or capital expenses. 
• Explain the federal and state rate case processes involved for both base rate increases and fuel adjustments.
• Discuss the various rationales used to request changes in gas & electric rates. 

Day One (Afternoon - 4 hours):

• Review the current problems encountered when implementing today's open-access markets and customer choice programs.
• Examine the important issues that create friction between utilities and energy marketers from both perspectives.
• Conduct a gas/electric case study exercise that addresses specific issues selected by the class.
• Debate the merits of significant issues contained within the case study using the active participation of class participants. 

Day Two (3 hours):

• Interpret a variety of gas & electric tariffs to become proficient in bill analyses techniques. 
• Conduct several bill analyses with both gas and electric bills for residential, commercial, and industrial customer groups.
• Illustrate the differences between various gas & electric rate tariffs using case studies of different bill applications.
• Apply case study results and lessons to real-life situations.
• Continue with the bill and tariff analysis using actual bill examples and situations selected from the class participants which have been submitted in advance.
• Review several additional examples of increasing rate-making complexity as time allows.
• Produce comparative analysis of bundled and unbundled rates using current electric and gas pricing examples.
• Illustrate how the economics of rate design is applied in competitive energy markets. 

Your Instructor

Jim Crist is President of Lumen Group, Inc. headquartered in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. He has over 30 years experience in the energy industry covering coal, gas, oil, propane, and electricity. Jim has conducted many strategic studies of the industry and prepared market and business assessments for several large energy companies. Before founding Lumen Group in 1996, Jim spent 20 years working for major energy companies in engineering, technology development and marketing. He has served as marketing vice president in both regulated and deregulated entities. He has participate in rate proceedings covering base rate cases, energy cost cases, complaints, and industry deregulation. He serves as a professional witness in rate proceedings and covers many regulatory areas.

Who Should Attend this Seminar?

Utility analysts, utility employees involved in legal, accounting, regulatory, engineering, operations, customer service, sales, or marketing, Utility commission employees, industrial customers, commercial customers, Energy producers, utilities, electric generators, and marketers; energy and electric power executives; traders; marketing, sales, purchasing & risk management personnel; accountants; trading support staff; auditors; attorneys; government regulators; plant operators; engineers and corporate planners.

Prerequisites

This fundamental level group live seminar has no prerequisites. No advance preparation is required before the seminar.

Why Choose PGS?

PGS seminars are known for their clear explanations and in-depth content. Register for a PGS program today, and team up with the leader in electric power and energy education. Join over 5,000 energy and financial professionals who have already attended one or more of PGS's proven courses. View Past Seminar Attendees

Hotel & Seminar Information

This two-day seminar will be held at the hotel listed below or can be conducted on-site at your facilities. The seminar will start promptly at 8:00 AM and will finish at 4:00 PM on Day One. The seminar will begin promptly at 8:00 AM and will finish after lunch around Noon on Day Two. The program includes continental breakfast, lunch, and coffee/cookie breaks. Attendees also receive a professionally produced seminar manual that can serve as a valuable office reference. Dress is casual for all seminars. 

Doubletree Houston by the Galleria
5353 Westheimer Road
Houston, Texas 77056-5474
Telephone 1-713-961-9000
View Hotel Website

PGS Energy Training has secured a limited number of Doubletree hotel rooms at a special discounted rate. Please dial 1-713-961-9000 and mention the PGS Energy Training event for your discounted rate. Please sign up early to receive your special room rate. This Doubletree frequently sells out.

Registration Fee & Discounts

Register Now and invest in your future. The price for this two-day seminar is $1,495 (USD).

• Additional attendees and government employees receive a 10% discount.
   
• Sign up for 4 or more classroom seats during the same month and all attendees will receive a 20% total discount. ( If you plan to register 4 or more classroom seats, but want attendees to pay by separate credit cards, register one party now and mention this fact in the "Comments" section of the registration form. We will manually subtract the 20% discount from the first registrant's seminar fee. Tell other parties in your group to mention your name when they register, and we will give them the 20% discount as well.) Please call 412-521-4737 for more information.
  

Payment & Cancellations

Payment is due prior to the start of the seminar by Visa, Master Card, American Express, Diners Club, or corporate check. Seminar fees will be charged to your credit card at the time of registration unless other arrangements have been made. Please make checks payable to "PGS Energy Training" 43 Fawnvue Drive, Suite 700 • Mckees Rocks, PA 15136. Cancellations can be made up to three (3) business days prior to the start of the seminar for a full refund. No refunds will be made thereafter, but credit will be given toward future workshops. Substitutions may be made at any time. For more information on PGS policies regarding administrative matters and complaint resolution, please contact our offices at 412-521-4737.

CPE Credits

This group live seminar is eligible for 10.0 CPE credits. Be aware that state boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. As of January 1, 2002, sponsored learning activities are measured by program length, with one 50-minute period equal to one CPE credit. One-half CPE credit increments (equal to 25 minutes) are permitted after the first credit has been earned in a given learning activity. You may want to verify that the state board from which your participants will be receiving credit accept one-half credits.

PGS  Energy Training is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)  as a sponsor of continuing professional education  on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on  the acceptance of individual courses for CPE  credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors  may be addressed to the National Registry of  CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org. CPAs interested in attending any seminars  should contact our offices for details on CPE credits granted and any prerequisite requirements.