Return to the three-part Utility Finance Toolkit Series
Timing
Attend two real-time sessions from Noon – 3 pm ET on July 21 and 22. There will be two 10-minute breaks included in each session.
Unable to make the live sessions? Recordings will be made available (automatically to those who register) a week after the course concludes.
Delivery Method/Learning Environment
This course is a Group Internet based offering (via Zoom) and combines real-time presentation, polling questions, real-world examples, Q&A and group discussion.
Course Overview
Dive into how the electric utility sector is adapting rate design strategies to keep up with transformative challenges such as decarbonization, proliferation of distributed energy resources, increasing electrification, and evolving market structures. Gain a deep understanding of how technology and regulations are shaping the future of electricity pricing — including what strategies utilities are taking in response and what experts expect in the near future. Discuss the most dynamic and critical issues shaping electric utility rate design today and how innovative rate structures can promote fairness across your customer classes and ensure financial stability for your utility.
Course Topics
- Strategies in using cost-of-service vs. market-based pricing
- How rate design and regulations are evolving
- Capital and cost recovery amid increasing infrastructure investment
- Considerations for designing rates for new large loads
- Trends in technologies and load shapes, including advanced metering infrastructure, microgrids, distributed generation, and storage
- How utilities are structuring time-of-use and real-time pricing models
- The utility’s response to customer technologies, including net metering vs. net billing and value of solar debates
- Educating staff, management, governing bodies, and customers about long-term rate strategies
Sample Agenda/Learning Outcomes
Coming soon!
Course Level/Prerequisites/Advance Preparation
Intermediate Level: No prerequisites; no advance preparation. A basic working knowledge of the fundamentals of electric utility finance is helpful, as this course references industry terms and dives into high-level trends and strategies.
All materials will be provided at least two business days in advance of the class with access instructions, and you can download them in advance to take notes.
Often taken in conjunction with APPA’s Foundations of Utility Financial Planning (June 9, 10) and Cost of Service in Practice (Aug. 18, 19, 20) virtual courses. A discounted bundled rate is available.
Who Should Attend
This course is designed for public power finance and accounting professionals, rate analysts, financial planners, executive leaders and policymakers seeking to enhance their understanding of utility financial planning and rate-setting practices.
Accreditation
The following continuing education credits will be provided for this Group Internet based event, after successfully completing 90% of the two live sessions. Review the guidelines for successful completion in the “Accreditation” dropdown below.
- Recommended .6 CEUs / 5.7 PDHs / 6.8 CPEs (total for the two-part course)
- Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge
Instructors
Chris Lund, Financial Consultant with Utility Financial Solutions, has been a full-time member of the UFS team since 2011, and part-time technology consultant since 2003, brings over 30 years of experience in financial, technology and management consulting to our team. Using tools and knowledge gained through experience and his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Computer Science and Speech Communications, Chris specializes in studies for electric (with specialization in distributed generation), water, wastewater, and telecommunications utilities.
Dawn Lund is the Vice President of Utility Financial Solutions, a consulting practice that specializes in financial planning, cost of service, and rate-setting for public power utilities. Dawn has over 30 years of experience in financial analysis for utility systems. She specializes in providing financial assessments, cost of service studies and financial plans for utilities throughout the country, Canada, Guam and the Caribbean. She teaches a variety of financial planning courses and regularly speaks at conference and industry events for APPA and other organizations across the nation.
Jillian Jurczyk is a Rates Manager with Utility Financial Solutions, where she helps public power utilities across the country make informed, financially sound decisions. Jill has more than a decade of experience in cost-of-service analysis, rate design, and financial planning for electric, water, wastewater, gas, and solid waste utilities. She is known for her clear and engaging approach to explaining complex rate concepts. Jill develops and delivers training sessions for utility boards, managers, and staff - bridging the gap between technical data and practical decision-making.
About Utility Financial Solutions
Utility Financial Solutions specializes in electric, water, wastewater, telecommunications and gas cost of service studies, unbundling studies, competitive rate designs, financial projections and special financial analysis. They are one of the largest providers of financial services to utilities across the United States. Their team includes engineers, accountants and economists that have completed hundreds of cost-of-service studies, rate studies, and financial projections for utilities in 39 states, Canada, Guam, and the British Grand Cayman Island. They also teach a variety of in-depth courses and speak at industry events across the country. Learn more about Utility Financial Solutions.
| Disclosure: The instructors have no proprietary or financial interests in any products, services, or materials discussed in this course. |
Questions?
- Registration/Billing: Registration@PublicPower.org
- Schedule/Content/Accreditation: Academy@PublicPower.org
Registration
Register Now!
Registration Fees
Registration is for individual access. If you have multiple people interested in attending, group discounts are available.
| Members* | |
| Bundled Series - Includes All Three Courses (save $300!) | $1,795 |
| Individual Courses | |
| Foundations of Utility Financial Planning (June 9, 10) | $595 |
| Strategic Rate Design for a Dynamic Industry (July 21, 22) | $595 |
| Cost of Service in Practice: From Analysis to Rate Design (August 18, 19, 20) | $895 |
| *Non-member rates are double the member rates. | |
Group Discounts
Save money when your organization registers five or more people for the same class or the bundled series. The larger your group, the more you save! Registrations must be submitted on the same order (at the same time) to qualify for the group discount; discounts cannot be retroactively applied to previous orders.
If you need assistance, contact Registration@PublicPower.org.
| Number of Registrants | Discount (Per Person) | Discount Per Person – Bundled Series |
| 1-4 | n/a | n/a |
| 5-9 | $50 | $150 |
| 10-14 | $100 | $300 |
| 15-24 | $150 | $450 |
| 25+ | $200 | $600 |
Registration Help
Check out our Registration FAQs for answers to the most common questions and help with all your registration-related issues.
Cancellations/No-Show/Refunds/Substitutions
All events will be recorded, and attendees will automatically receive a copy of the recordings, in case you can’t attend live.
Registrants who cancel in writing at least seven days before the first day of a course are entitled to a refund of their registration fee, minus a $100 cancellation fee. Registrants who cancel after that will not receive a refund, but attendee substitutions will be allowed for this event only. Registrants and no-shows who do not cancel at least seven days before the course start date are responsible for the full registration fee and are not entitled to a refund.
Cancellation deadlines:
- Utility Finance Toolkit (all 3 classes): Cancellations must be received on/before June 2
- Foundations of Utility Financial Planning — Cancellations must be received on/before June 2
- Strategic Rate Design for a Dynamic Industry — Cancellations must be received on/before July 14
- Cost of Service in Practice: From Analysis to Rate Design — Cancellations must be received on/before August 13
Cancellation requests should be made through your My.PublicPower portal, or addressed to Registration@PublicPower.org.
Questions?
- Registration/Billing: Registration@PublicPower.org
- Schedule/Content/Accreditation: Academy@PublicPower.org
Accreditation
Earn While You Learn!
Participate in virtual programs to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs), Professional Development Hours (PDHs) and Continuing Professional Education credits (CPEs).
Accreditation
The following continuing education credits will be provided for these Group Internet-based events:
- Foundations of Utility Financial Planning (June 10, 11)
- .6 CEUs / 5.7 PDHs / 6.8 CPEs
- CPE Field of study: Specialized Knowledge
- Strategic Rate Design for a Dynamic Industry (July 21, 22)
- .6 CEUs / 5.7 PDHs / 6.8 CPEs
- CPE Field of study: Specialized Knowledge
- Cost of Service in Practice: From Analysis to Rate Design (Aug. 18, 19, 20)
- .9 CEUs / 8.5 PDHs / 10.5 CPEs
- CPE Field of study: Specialized Knowledge
What educational credits are available?
You can earn continuing education credits for attending live sessions—provided the following requirements are met:
Requirements for Successful Completion: Virtual
- Registration is for individual access, so each person participating must register. If you have multiple people interested in attending, group discounts are available.
- Individuals are required to attend and actively participate in 90% of each live session and complete an online evaluation after the last session in a course.
- Attendance: Individuals must attend at least 90% of each live session (based on electronic timestamps in Zoom).
- Participation: Active participation in class will include engagement activities such as: polling/check-in questions, Kahoot quizzes, group discussions, breakout sessions, and in-class exercises.
- Activities vary by class: Information on participation will be provided the day before (and during) class. Participation is tracked electronically.
- Online evaluation: Each person must complete an online evaluation after the course concludes.
- Partial credit cannot be given for partial attendance.
- Attendance is monitored by an APPA staff member during the event, through an online report log, and upon review of the post-event evaluation data
- Completion certificates will be available within two weeks of the last session in a live event (for those who meet the requirements) through your APPA member portal (access instructions will be provided).
- Virtual sessions are recorded (attendees automatically receive access to recordings within a week of the last session), though continuing education credits can only be given for attending live events. Recordings will be accessible for 90 days after the last session.
Guidelines for Group Participation in Virtual Events
- If a group is participating in a conference room together, we recommend each person still logs in individually from a laptop to ensure attendance and participation requirements are met (as noted above).
- If individual log in is not possible, the organization must designate one person as the main point of contact. Email Academy@PublicPower.org in advance of the virtual event noting this information
- This person will record attendance in the room in the room (we can provide a sample attendance tracker) and ensure attendance and participation from the group throughout.
- Submit the attendance record to APPA within 2 business days of the conclusion of a virtual event.
- Ensure each person fills out the required online evaluation
Accreditation
Continuing Education Units (CEUs): The American Public Power Association is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU. For information regarding certification status, attendance requirements and obtaining attendee transcripts, contact Academy@PublicPower.org. Verify our IACET Accreditation.
Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Credits: The American Public Power Association 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 submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.NASBAregistry.com. Unless noted, there are no prerequisites for the courses offered and no advance preparation is required. Courses are group-internet based offerings at the basic program level (unless otherwise noted). Credit hours and areas of study for the courses are listed on the individual course pages. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as clarification of requirements, complaints, and refunds, please contact Academy@PublicPower.org.
Professional Development Hours (PDHs): The American Public Power Association’s educational practices are consistent with the criteria for awarding Professional Development Hours (PDHs) as established by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Course eligibility and number of PDHs may vary by state.
Questions
- Registration/Billing: Registration@PublicPower.org
- Schedule/Content/Accreditation: Academy@PublicPower.org
Additional Information
Format and Log-In Information
These group, Internet-based classes will be offered on the Zoom meeting platform.
Communication
- 24 hours after registering: You’ll receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of registering, which contains some preliminary information.
- 24 hours before:
- You’ll receive your Zoom log in link the day before the first session in a course (sent from the APPA Academy’s Zoom account <no-reply@zoom.us>)
- You’ll also receive a final logistics email 24 hours in advance of the first class.
- If you don’t receive this, email Academy@PublicPower.org.
Course Materials and Recordings
- Zoom Links: Zoom log in credentials will be sent out 24 hours before the start of the first session in a class.
- Course materials: Attendees will receive access to course materials the day before each session through the "Documents" section of their My.PublicPower.org user portal.
- Recordings: All sessions will be recorded and can be accessed through your user portal as well (within a week of the last class in the program), in case you can’t attend the live versions. Recordings will be accessible for 90 days after the last session. Note: Continuing education credits can only be issued for attending live sessions.
Technology Requirements
- Computer: Each attendee needs to work from their own computer, to fully participate in the discussions and exercises.
- Contact Academy@PublicPower.org if you are participating as a group in a conference room.
- Zoom Meeting Access: You’ll need strong Internet access to run the Zoom meeting platform.
- Audio/Webcam: You will need to enable computer audio to listen and speak (alternatively a call-in number will be provided) and you will also need a webcam, so you can fully engage in the small group breakout sessions and group discussions.
- Download the Kahoot! App: The instructors will be using Kahoot during (and after) live sessions and will provide you with the game PIN number needed for each quiz. Go to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) and download the free Kahoot! app on your phone.
New to Zoom?
If you haven't participated in a Zoom meeting before, please download the Zoom web client from the Zoom Download Center. This will enable you to access all of the Zoom tools and functionality vs. using the web version. Then, visit Zoom.us/test to ensure you are able to join a meeting.
If you are not able to download the Zoom web client, you can still participate via your Internet browser. We recommend using Chrome for the best results.
Privacy and Security
The American Public Power Association takes your privacy and security very seriously. For this reason, we have put the following security measures in place for this course:
- A random Meeting ID
- Password-protected
- Enabled waiting room to screen meeting participants
- Restricted screen sharing to hosts only
Questions?
- Registration/Billing: Registration@PublicPower.org
- Schedule/Content/Accreditation: Academy@PublicPower.org
