Regulatory

When your organization requires an independent opinion on accounting, rate, and regulatory issues, we deliver expert testimony, economic analysis, and technical information to support your rate case.

Our regulatory services include economic analysis and expert testimony before regulatory bodies. We provide:

We provide expert witness testimony at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, state regulatory commissions, and in arbitration and litigation proceedings as an expert witness for rate, economic evaluations, and accounting matters.
We will support your regulatory filing by providing analysis of the cost of service and economic issues. Our analysis provides the support for inclusion of used and useful assets in rate base, cost of capital implications, and just and reasonable rate designs.
Our experience with the accounting involved with developing revenue requirements leads to analysis and testimony regarding the inclusion of decommissioning costs and impairments in rates, the appropriate application of regulatory accounting (ASC 980/GASB 62), and other accounting issues that arise through the regulatory rate case process.
We provide intervenor support with analysis and testimony of economic, cost of service, and accounting issues in rate filings.
If your regulation is local, we are skilled at presenting rate studies before your co-op or utility board or City Council. We are adept at distilling technical reports for a non-technical audience.

Our detailed economic analysis and testimony areas cover a wide range of accounting, rate, and regulatory issues. We provide an independent viewpoint for your regulatory needs in these areas:

Affiliate transactions
Asset impairment accounting
Compliance with regulatory orders
Cost allocation methods
Cost of capital analysis
Developing regulatory rate filings

Just and reasonable rates evaluation
Regulatory policy and strategies

Regulatory accounting
Stranded cost analysis
Used and useful asset analysis

Mr. Hissom has prepared testimony or testified before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, California Public Utilities Commission, South Carolina Public Service Commission, Public Utility Commission of Texas, and Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
Mr. Hissom has provided expert testimony before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on critical regulatory and financial matters, including revenue requirements, cost of service, rate design, economic analysis, and rate base components. His expertise extends to the application of regulatory accounting principles, covering asset deferrals, cost allocations, asset impairments, and depreciation within wholesale and transmission rate structures.
His testimony has played a key role in addressing complex regulatory issues such as the rate treatment of used and useful assets, prudence standards, and ensuring just and reasonable rates. Most notably, he recently provided testimony in a landmark FERC filing concerning the federal oversight of electric cooperative revenue requirements.
Mr. Hissom has provided expert testimony before state regulatory commissions, offering critical insights on revenue requirements, cost of service, rate design, and cost allocations. His expertise includes the recovery of nuclear power plant costs in rate base, the accounting treatment of electric generation by-products, and the cost recovery of coal combustion residuals.
His testimony has helped shape regulatory decisions by ensuring that rate structures align with cost causation principles and industry best practices. Through his in-depth analysis, he has addressed complex cost recovery issues.
Mr. Hissom has delivered economic analysis and expert testimony on a range of complex financial and regulatory matters, including cost of service and rate structures, rate of return, cost allocations, water rights, and insurance settlements in arbitration disputes.
With a deep understanding of utility finance and regulatory frameworks, he has provided data-driven insights that support equitable and well-founded decisions. His expertise in cost allocation methodologies and financial risk assessment has been instrumental in resolving disputes and ensuring fair outcomes in arbitration proceedings. Through rigorous analysis and strategic testimony, he has helped stakeholders navigate high-stakes regulatory and financial challenges with clarity and confidence.
We have performed projects for state regulatory commissions in Arizona, California, Florida, Guam, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin on the review of rate filings and regulatory compliance with commission orders.
Mr. Hissom regularly makes presentations to oversight bodies on cost-of-service and rate design studies in support of customer rate changes.
Docket 55867; Public Utility Commission of Texas - LCRA Transmission Services Corporation - Testimony on the application of cost allocations and affiliate transactions - 2024
FERC Docket No. ER20-2441-002; Basin Electric Cooperative, McKenzie Electric Cooperative, and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association - Expert witness testimony on the application of regulatory accounting, asset deferrals, cost allocations, and depreciation in wholesale and transmission rates - 2023 - 2024
Litigation proceeding - Expert witness testimony on the recoverability of depreciation expense in insurance filings with investor-owned electric utility - 2022
Arbitration proceeding - Expert witness testimony on FERC accounting for production, purchase, and sale of Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) gypsum - 2022
FERC Docket No. ER18-1639-003; Constellation Mystic Power, LLC and Eastern New England Consumer-Owned Systems - Expert witness testimony on impairment accounting pertaining to acquired power plant assets - 2019
Docket No. 2017-305-E, Order No. 2018-102 - Public Service Commission of South Carolina and South Carolina Electric and Gas - Expert witness testimony on application of regulatory accounting to ratepayer cost recovery scenarios for VC Summer Nuclear Station Units 2 and 3 construction costs - 2018
FERC proceeding - Ameren and five joint action agencies - Support activities in determining the impact on wholesale power customer rates on the impairment of Ameren generating units - 2016
Arbitration proceeding - Expert witness testimony on cost recovery of common administrative costs in a jointly owned nuclear power unit (4 utilities) - 2016
Arbitration proceeding - Expert witness testimony in regards to water rights disputes between two California Utilities and accounting for water rights for power generation under a long-term purchased power agreement - 2015
Wisconsin Public Service Commission - Expert witness testimony and rate case support in connection with various filings of electric and water utilities - 1987 - present
Many clients - Presentations to oversight boards on cost-of-service and rate design studies in support of customer rate changes