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Course Agendas

"The Basics" Practical Regulatory Training for the Electric Industry & the Natural Gas Local Distribution (LDC) Industry.

Click on the industry below for specific course information:

ELECTRIC INDUSTRY • LDC INDUSTRY

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

ELECTRIC INDUSTRY AGENDA

Click on the day below for a detailed description of the day.

Monday • Tuesday • Wednesday • Thursday • Friday

Electric Course Instructors

All times are shown in Mountain Time

Monday, May 12

6:30 am • REGISTRATION BEGINS

  • Registration begins on the first floor of the hotel. Breakfast is available in the ABQ Grill.

8:00-10:00 am • INTRODUCTION TO THE TECHNOLOGY, INSTITUTIONS, AND HISTORY OF THE ELECTRIC INDUSTRY: Instructor, John Caldwell 

  • Electricity, Generation Technologies, Network Components
  • System Operations, Ancillary Services & Interconnected Utilities
  • The Basic Structure of Electric Utility Regulation
  • Key Federal Statutes Affecting the Industry and FERC Orders 888 & 2000
  • Wholesale & Retail Restructuring
    • Regional Differences in Industry Structure
  • Distribution-Only Utilities vs. Vertically Integrated Utilities

10:15-11:45 am • INTRODUCTION TO THE TECHNOLOGY, INSTITUTIONS, AND HISTORY OF THE ELECTRIC INDUSTRY (continued): Instructor, John Caldwell

Lunch

1:00-3:00 pm • OVERVIEW OF REVENUE REQUIREMENTS: Instructors, Gary Duncan & Bill Steele 

  • Components of Revenue Requirements
    • Rate Base, Expenses, Taxes, Depreciation and Net Operating Income
  • The Components of the Weighted Average Cost of Capital/ Overall Rate of Return (ROR)
  • What triggers a Rate Case and who are the Players?
  • The Book Data, Uniform System of Accounts & FERC Form 1
  • Adjusted Test-Year Revenue Requirements at Present and Proposed Rates

3:15-5:15 pm • OVERVIEW OF REVENUE REQUIREMENTS (continued): Instructors, Gary Duncan & Bill Steele

Welcome Reception

Tuesday, May 13

8:00 am - 12:00 pm • REVENUE REQUIREMENT PROBLEM: Instructors, Gary Duncan, Doug Gegax, & Bill Steele

Lunch

1:00-2:45 pm • OVERVIEW OF THE CLASS-COST-OF-SERVICE STUDIES: Instructors, John Caldwell & Bill Steele 

  • Average Demand
  • Coincidental Peak Demand (1CP, 3CP, 4CP, 12CP)
  • Non-Coincidental Peak Demand
  • Average–Excess Demand
  • Non-Fuel and Fuel Base Revenues
  • Cost Functionalization
  • Cost Classification
  • Cost Allocation at Equalized ROR
  • Cost Allocation with Class Rate Increase Constraints/Bands

3:00-5:15 pm • OVERVIEW OF THE CLASS-COST-OF-SERVICE STUDIES (continued): Instructors, John Caldwell & Bill Steele 

Wednesday, May 14

8:00-10:00 am • CLASS-COST-OF-SERVICE STUDIES PROBLEM: Instructors, Doug Gegax & Bill Steele

10:15 am – 12:00 pm • RATE DESIGN: Instructor, Larry Blank 

  • Development of Base Rates for Different Customer Classes
  • Billing Determinants
  • Customer, Energy and Demand Charges
  • Block Rate Design
  • Time-of-Use Rates

Lunch & Trip to New Mexico's State Capital - Santa Fe, NM

Thursday, May 15

8:00 am – 12:00 pm • RATE DESIGN (continued): Instructor, Larry Blank

Lunch

1:00-2:30 pm • LOW INCOME & ENERGY JUSTICE: Instructor: Shubha Muralidhara Harris

  • Overview of LIHEAP and utility energy assistance programs.
  • Case Study of Pilot Initiative aimed at reducing barriers and improving access to energy assistance.
  • Introduction to principles of energy justice. 
  • Ways to achieve increased participation and access in the clean energy transition. 

2:30-3:00 pm • CLEAN ELECTRICITY & TRANSPORTATION AND REGULATORY POLICY: Instructor, Jamal Mamkehezri

  • Types of Renewable Generation Technologies
  • Utility Scale: Power Purchase Agreements,
  • Rate Base Investments
  • Renewable Portfolio Standards & Renewable Energy Credits
  • Storage
  • Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Tariffs
  • Green Tariffs
  • Voluntary Renewable Programs
  • Community Solar
  • Distributed Generation
  • Net Metering
  • Regulatory Treatment of Small Net Metering Customers: Cost Allocation & Rate Design Issues
  • Zero Carbon

3:15-5:15 pm • CLEAN ELECTRICITY & TRANSPORTATION AND REGULATORY POLICY (continued): Instructor, Jamal Mamkehezri

Farewell Social

Friday, May 16

Combined Session for Electric and LDC

8:00-11:00 am • STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS AND PROCESS OF A RATE CASE: Instructors, Larry Blank Cholla Khoury

  • The Utility Application, Building the Record, Discovery, Written Testimony
  • Cross Examination, Settlement vs. Contested Hearing
  • The Final Order and Grounds for Appeals
  • Open Meeting Laws and Ex Parte Communication

LDC INDUSTRY AGENDA

Click on the day below for a detailed description of the day.

Monday • Tuesday • Wednesday • Thursday • Friday

LDC Course Instructors

Monday, May 12

6:30 am • REGISTRATION BEGINS

Registration begins on the first floor of the hotel. Breakfast is available in the ABQ Grill.

8:30-12:00 pm • OVERVIEW OF THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY: Instructor, Larry Blank

  • Moving Gas from the Wellhead to the Burner Tip
  • Production, Transmission, Storage, and Distribution
  • Infrastructure and System Technologies

LOCAL DISTRIBUTION COMPANIES

  • Role of the LDC – structure, regulation, technology, and system operations
  • Relationship with Interstate Pipelines and the FERC

FEDERAL JURISDICTION

  • The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)

STATE JURISDICTION

  • State Regulatory Commissions

Lunch 

1:00-4:00 pm • GAS PROCUREMENT, GAS COST RECOVERY, AND GAS COST HEDGING: Instructor, Chris Brown

  • Interstate Pipeline Services
  • PGA Recovery
  • Automatic Adjustments
  • Performance Based Rates
  • Physical and Financial Hedges

4:00-5:00 pm • THE PROCESS OF DETERMINING REVENUE REQUIREMENTS: Instructor, Wendy Robbins

  • Rate Base, Expenses, Taxes, Depreciation and Net Operating Income
  • Components of the Rate of Return
  • The Test–Year
  • Adjusted Revenues at Present and Proposed Rates

Welcome Reception

Tuesday, May 13

8:30 am - 12:00 pm • THE PROCESS OF DETERMINING REVENUE REQUIREMENTS (continued): Instructor, Wendy Robbins

Lunch

1:00-5:00 pm • REVENUE REQUIREMENT PROBLEM: Instructor, Erin Potokar, Southwest Gas

Wednesday, May 14

8:30-12:00 pm • ASSIGNING COSTS TO VARIOUS CUSTOMER CLASSES: Instructor, Ed Gieseking

  • What is a class cost-of-service study?
  • Functionalization
  • Classification
  • Allocation

Lunch & Trip to New Mexico's State Capital - Santa Fe, NM

Thursday, May 15

8:30 am – 2:00 pm • RATE DESIGN - RECOVERING ASSIGNED COSTS FROM VARIOUS CUSTOMER CLASSES: Instructor, Ray Blatter

2:00-5:00 pm • KEY ISSUES FACING THE LDC INDUSTRY: Instructor, John Gunnells

  • Gas Utility Rate of Return
  • RNG and Hydrogen Tariff Development
  • Effects of Winter Storm Uri
  • Gas Policy Developments

Farewell Social

Friday, May 16

Combined Session for Electric and LDC

8:00-11:00 am • STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS AND PROCESS OF A RATE CASE: Instructors, Larry Blank & Cholla Khoury 

  • The Utility Application, Building the Record, Discovery, Written Testimony
  • Cross Examination, Settlement vs. Contested Hearing
  • The Final Order and Grounds for Appeals
  • Open Meeting Laws and Ex Parte Communication

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

Electric Industry Instructors • LDC Industry Instructors • CPU Staff

ELECTRIC:

Larry Blank, CPU Associate Director and Professor, New Mexico State University

John Caldwell, Associate Professor, New Mexico State University

Gary Duncan, Ret. Program Manager, Revenue Requirement

Doug Gegax, CPU Director Emeritus and Professor, New Mexico State University

Shubba Muralidhara Harris, JD, Legal Consultant

Cholla Khoury, Attorney & Chief of Staff, New Mexico Public Regulation Commssision

Jamal Mamkhezri, Associate Professor, New Mexico State University

Bill Steele, Regulatory Consultant, Bill Steele & Associate, Adjucnt Professor, New Mexico State University

LDC:

Larry Blank, CPU Associate Director and Professor, New Mexico State University

Ray Blatter, Ret. Regulatory Manager

Chris Brown, Director, Regulation, Southwest Gas

Ed Gieseking, Ret. Director, Regulation & Energy Efficiency

John Gunnells, Manager, State Affairs, American Gas Association

Cholla Khoury, Attorney & Chief of Staff, New Mexico Public Regulation Commssision

Erin Potokar, Regulatory Professional, Regulation, Southwest Gas

Wendy Robbins, Regulatory Manager, Black Hills Corporation

CPU Staff:

Larry Blank, CPU Associate Director and Professor, New Mexico State University

Cindy Blume, Director and Assistant Professor, New Mexico State University

Doug Gegax, CPU Director Emeritus and Professor, New Mexico State University