Summary of Experience
Marisa Ihara has over twenty years of experience in the energy industry bringing technical expertise in econometric analysis, financial modeling, and database management. She has assisted clients with rate design, integrated resource planning, utility prudency reviews, contractual disputes, acquisition/divestiture due diligence, market power studies, and energy market assessments. She has designed unit commitment and gas storage optimization models and has performed valuations of various electric generation projects, natural gas pipeline and storage facilities, fuel supply contracts, and power purchase agreements.
Ms. Ihara’s demand forecasting and supply planning experience includes an engagement in which she developed natural gas demand forecasts and assisted in the development of long-term Integrated Resource Plans on behalf of several utilities located in the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest. She has also reviewed demand forecasting methodology for both a multi-state gas utility and a Canadian electric utility. For the gas utility, she recommended certain process changes to improve methodology and forecast accuracy, and for the electric utility she analyzed and evaluated the statistical and quantitative projection methods used, including end-use and econometric forecasting techniques.
Ms. Ihara served as an Intern Engineer and Application Developer at General Electric Power Systems Energy Consulting before joining Concentric. She is proficient in VBA, MATLAB, SQL, and SPSS.
Education
B.S., magna cum laude, Applied Mathematics, Brown University
Experience
Plant Retirement and Redevelopment
Our utility client owns and operates coal-fired generating stations in the Midwestern U.S. Following the decision to retire certain coal-fired generating assets, the company’s decommissioning team was faced with the […]
Independent Evaluator
We acted as an agent of a state regulatory commission by serving as the Independent Evaluator for the competitive acquisition process that our utility client undertook to acquire resources pursuant to its […]
Power Supply Procurement Advisory
We assisted a utility with the design, administration and evaluation of its power supply procurement processes. Specifically, we developed and administered the request for proposals (“RFP”), managed the due diligence process […]
Cost of Service Study for Electric Operations
Concentric supported an electric rate case filed by a large U.S. natural gas and electric utility. We conducted allocated cost of service studies for the company’s Indiana electric operations, designed […]
Turn-Key Rate Case Preparation
Concentric was retained to assist a U.S. energy services and delivery company in preparing a turn-key rate case for its Connecticut electric distribution company. We assisted in all aspects of […]
Rate Proceeding Expert Testimony
Concentric provided expert testimony on behalf of a Florida electric utility in a rate proceeding regarding the utility’s relative cost, reliability, and capital deployment efficiency compared to three peer groups […]
Fair Value Extensive Analysis
Concentric was engaged by an electric generation and transmission cooperative to provide extensive analysis of the fair value of the client’s share of a large coal plant and the resulting […]
