Welcome to the Regulatory Utility Leadership Institute. This four-day program bridges academic theory and regulatory practice to address the economic, policy, and leadership challenges of the utility sector.
Please note that all times are Central Time and subject to modification.
Monday, June 1
| Day 1 | Context and Overview |
|---|---|
| Noon | Registration (boxed lunch available) |
| 1:00 pm | Welcome, Introductions, Expectation Setting |
| 1:45 pm | Session 1: Regulation – What and why? Nature and definition of regulation, crash course in economics and market behavior, economic and social reasons for regulation, and evaluating regulatory alternatives |
| 2:30 pm | Break |
| 2:45 pm | Session 2: History and Economics of Regulated Industries Overview of the history of utility regulation and how it has evolved over the past 110 years |
| 4:00 pm | Discussion and Closing |
| 5:30 pm | Reception & Dinner (included) |
Tuesday, June 2
| Day 2 | Factors Affecting and Affected by Rate Regulation |
|---|---|
| 8:00 am | Breakfast and Networking (beverages and light breakfast available) |
| 9:00 am | Session 3: How Utilities Get Paid: The Rate Setting Process Introduction to the core framework of utility regulation, including why utilities are regulated, how the revenue requirement is developed, and how cost-of-service modeling supports rate setting. |
| 10:30 am | Break |
| 10:45 am | Session 4: Case Study Breakouts Grp # 1 – Bluefield Water Works & Improvement Co. v. PSC of West Virginia (1923) Grp # 2 – Federal Power Commission, et al v. Hope Natural Gas Co. (1944) |
| 12:15 pm | Lunch (included) |
| 1:15 pm | Session 5: How Costs Turn into Rates A practical discussion of how utility costs are allocated, rate structures are designed, and analytical results are translated into customer rates and bills. |
| 3:15 pm | Break |
| 3:30 pm | Session 6: Regulatory Governance Structure, and Energy Markets Varied jurisdictions of regulatory oversight, state and regional governance differences and their impact on market operations, and governance implications on utility operations/decisions |
| Dinner | On Your Own (network opportunity with FRI team/RULI Instructors/Participants) |
Wednesday, June 3
| Day 3 | Beyond Rate Regulation |
|---|---|
| 8:00 am | Breakfast and Networking (beverages and light breakfast available) |
| 9:00 am | Session 7: The Regulatory Model in Transition An overview of how traditional regulatory approaches adapt to evolving conditions, including alternative ratemaking, new rate designs, and emerging pressures. |
| 10:30 am | Break |
| 10:45 am | Session 8: Organizational Architecture in the Regulatory Context Understanding the role of decision rights, incentive systems, and performance measures in analyzing utility firm and contract structures and performance |
| 12:15 pm | Lunch (included – off site) |
| 1:15 pm | Session 9: Energy Markets, and Environmental Regulation Motivation for environmental policies, impact from rise of decarbonization efforts, mechanisms of emissions regulation, and changing incentives of new technology adoption |
| 3:15 pm | Break |
| 3:30 pm | Session 10: How Rate Cases Actually Work Work through the rate case and administrative process, including roles, procedures, and how decisions are made and resolved. |
| Dinner | Closing Reception (included) |
Thursday, June 4
| Day 4 | Leading in Regulated Industries |
|---|---|
| 8:00 am | Breakfast and Networking (beverages and light breakfast available) |
| 9:00 am | Session 11: Corporate Finance and Capital Markets Basics of capital markets; ownership of the firm; the nature of cash flow claims, managerial control, and voting rights among investors; and the basis for cost of capital calculations |
| 10:15 am | Break |
| 10:30 am | Session 12: Leadership in Action: Experiential Learning Exercises Small group case studies exploring state regulatory changes, examining industry participant implications and their reactions and adaptations. Studies tailored to attendees’ backgrounds. |
| 11:45 am | Putting It All Together |
| 12:00 pm | Lunch (boxed lunch available) |