Regulatory Strategy
Industry events have redirected the focus of most US investor-owned utilities back to the core regulated business. This back-to-basics strategy has refocused attention on the need to manage jurisdictional financial performance. In the absence of non-regulated earnings, jurisdictional returns most directly affect the creation and preservation of shareholder value.
Current rates may be set or may be under a rate freeze resulting from deregulation initiatives. Many companies are finding increasing non-controllable costs are too much to bear and require rate adjustments. In several states, rate freezes are due to expire soon, raising additional implications. In all these instances, the level of rate filings and increased effort responding to commission and intervenor data requests has dramatically repositioned the regulatory function. Companies cannot afford to be reactive in managing the regulatory process. They must be proactive.
With typical rate base investments, even small changes in achieved returns translate to material financial implications, which underscores the importance of managing the regulatory process. With increased regulatory activity and the need to manage jurisdictional financial returns, it is imperative that companies develop clear guidance for regulatory decision-making and manage the enterprise accordingly.
Managing the regulatory process requires a clear plan that offers guidance and direction. Whether companies are looking to implement a creative rate mechanism to enhance regulatory earnings or simply seeking to achieve the allowed rate of return, all relevant jurisdictional information - operational, regulatory and financial - must be available and considered in the regulatory strategy.
UII is an industry leader, helping many of the country's largest utilities build a comprehensive - but easily understood - approach to ensuring jurisdictional decision-making aligns with a sound regulatory strategy.
Regulatory Strategy - defining a proactive approach to achieving regulated returns and allocating jurisdictional resources accordingly.
UII works closely with clients to build a jurisdictional decision-making framework to support the regulatory governance model.
Jurisdictional information framework that reflects all stakeholder voices - operation, competition, financial, regulatory and customer
Jurisdictional operating and financial performance analysis
Regulatory strategy and translation to operational requirements
Process alignment to support regulatory strategic direction
Alternative rate mechanisms and implications
Jurisdictional Business Plans
FERC/Jurisdictional data availability and accuracy
FERC/Jurisdictional data translation