Summary of Experience
Mr. Yardley has been an advisor to private and public organizations in the energy industry on regulatory, public policy, and strategic issues for 35 years. During that time, he served as the Chairman of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities for two years and has been active in public policy matters as a speaker, facilitator, and expert witness. As the DPU Chairman, Mr. Yardley regulated the electricity, natural gas, water, telecommunications, and transportation industries in Massachusetts.
Trained as an economist with strong analytical skills, Mr. Yardley has an in-depth understanding of the competitive challenges facing regulated and unregulated energy firms as well as the policy challenges facing government agencies responsible for overseeing the restructuring of the energy industry, including the “Utility of the Future” concepts. Mr. Yardley has testified before state and federal regulatory agencies on policy initiatives, earnings attrition, incentive regulation, integrated resource planning, distribution system planning, interstate pipeline ratemaking, and emergency response plans and performance. Additionally, he has designed and led large industry collaboratives on retail customer choice and distributed generation, and facilitated client stakeholder meetings.
Mr. Yardley holds a B.A. in Economics from Georgetown University and completed all of the course work for a doctorate in Economics from Boston College but did not complete a dissertation. He also serves on Concentric’s Board of Directors.
Education
A.B.D., Economics, Boston College
B.A., Economics, Georgetown University
Testified Before
Alberta Energy Resources Conservation Board; Arizona Corporation Commission; Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control; Federal District Court; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Maine Public Utilities Commission; Maryland Public Service Commission; Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities; New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission; Ontario Energy Board; Régie de l’énergie du Québec; Texas Public Utility Commission; Tucson Electric Power Company; Wisconsin Public Service Commission
Case Studies
Natural Gas LDC Highest and Best Use Study
Concentric conducted an analysis on the highest and best use of a local distribution company’s (“LDC”) assets. Specifically, we: Analyzed the value of potential supplemental service offerings and alternative uses of […]
New York Energy Policy – Overview
At the beginning of the New York REV proceeding in 2014, the PSC Chair requested that the investor-owned utilities participate as a group, establishing the Joint Utilities of New York […]
Utility Business Model and Regulatory Framework
Concentric organized, delivered, facilitated, and documented two multi-day “Utility-of-the-Future” workshops for a vertically-integrated utility as a level setting exercise that would establish a foundation for development of corporate strategy and […]
Innovation
On behalf of the Canadian Gas Association and the Canadian Electricity Association, Concentric has prepared a discussion paper and three updates for utility executives and provincial regulators that examined the […]
LDC Decarbonization
In light of recent goals established in New York State related to decarbonization of the natural gas industry, two clients engaged Concentric to provide support on this complex issue. Concentric […]
Ten-Year Regulatory Roadmap
A “regulatory roadmap’” is needed to execute a corporate vision when the existing regulatory framework does not provide the utility with appropriate authorities and financial incentives to deliver on customer […]
Unitil Grid Modernization Plan
Concentric partnered with a technology firm to develop a Grid Modernization Plan for Fitchburg Gas & Electric (FG&E), the Massachusetts subsidiary of Unitil Corporation. Massachusetts was the first state in […]
Resilience Plan
Concentric collaborated with Avangrid’s distribution system planning, grid operations, capital investment, and regulatory Subject Matter Experts to develop resilience plans for its New York and Maine service areas. These plans […]
DSO Business Model
A northeast investor-owned utility retained Concentric to examine the potential business and operational impacts of increasing amounts of distributed energy resources on their distribution system. At the same time, our […]
Market Design
As part of New York Public Service Commission Case 18-E-0130, “Matter of Energy Storage Deployment Program,” the Joint Utilities of New York (Joint Utilities) requested consulting support to help develop […]
Publications
Regulator Rationale for Ratepayer-Funded Electricity and Natural Gas Innovation PDF