Rate, Regulatory and Financial Services
The ongoing pace of regulatory uncertainty and economic volatility is unrivaled in the utility industry and requires equally unparalleled flexibility in ratemaking and regulatory strategies. GDS has been at the forefront of industry rate and regulatory policy, offering broad expertise in regulatory ratemaking, accounting, economics, finance, and engineering.
RETAIL RATE SETTING
The continuing evolution of retail power markets is causing electric distribution systems to seek innovative and aggressive means of maintaining financial stability and controlling costs while maintaining efficiency and service reliability. GDS offers considerable expertise in the areas of:
Retail rates
Revenue requirements
Unbundled cost of service analysis
Traditional retail rate design
Marginal cost analysis
Distributed generation
Time of use and innovative rate design
Competitive pricing strategies
Load forecasting
Financial forecasting
Interconnection and net metering
Line extensions
Demand-Side Management analysis
Policy development
Merger, Acquisition, and Valuation studies
WHOLESALE RATE SETTING
Federal and State regulatory changes and increased competition require flexible and aggressive ratemaking and regulatory strategies. GDS offers broad expertise in ratemaking theories and has helped clients attain favorable rulings by providing expert testimony addressing major regulatory issues, including:
Industry restructuring
Jurisdictional cost separation
Cost of service and rate design
OATT tariffs/rates
Integrated Resource Planning
Power plant and transmission line certification
System dispatch and fuel procurement analysis
Cost of capital analyses
OPEN ACCESS RATE SETTING
The formation and evolution of workable regional transmission organizations and/or independent system operators is critical to truly fluid and competitive energy markets. Clients turn to GDS for guidance through the rapidly changing ground rules being shaped by Federal and State regulators, including:
Open access transmission tariffs/rates (OATT)
Open access transmission issues
Retail choice strategies
Financial Services
GDS offers specialized expertise in utility financial consulting. We have helped clients develop engineering and economic documentation to support loan applications for the financing of generation, transmission and distribution projects.