Experience our Integrated Services Advantage.
Concentric offers a suite of advisory and support services designed to assist clients in effectively navigating regulatory filing requirements. Our Integrated Services Advantage offers a comprehensive approach to case management and strategic regulatory guidance, creating a streamlined filing process. With our collaborative and integrated teams, we deliver rate case efficiency while ensuring that filings present a compelling and cohesive narrative. We serve a broad range of industry participants, including electric, gas, and water utilities, power generators, transmission owners, pipelines, trade organizations, and municipalities.
Our team of trusted regulatory experts has decades of experience in developing regulatory case filings in close collaboration with client regulatory and legal teams. This partnership extends from the formation of case strategy to the presentation of expert evidence and support throughout the litigation or settlement processes. Our senior experts typically work alongside skilled analysts, allowing us to provide thorough research and analysis. Our integrated process results in robust and defensible testimony capable of withstanding regulatory scrutiny.
Concentric’s team researched and prepared a truly impressive report with solid analysis in a very short period of time. Concentric was outstanding to work with, and we very much appreciate it.
Concentric specializes in helping organizations design and implement strategic approaches for affiliate transactions that prioritize regulatory compliance while enhancing operational efficiency and financial performance. With a deep understanding of market dynamics, we develop customized solutions to address the unique challenges faced by each client.
Our team works closely with clients to create affiliate transaction strategies that comply with stringent regulatory standards and leverage potential competitive advantages. By focusing on precise risk management, thorough policy development, and strategic implementation support, we enable our clients to navigate regulatory complexities with confidence and strategic insight.
Concentric assists utilities and energy companies in unlocking significant value through innovative financing solutions that address key financial challenges, such as storm recovery costs, infrastructure upgrades, and transition to clean energy. We specialize in guiding clients through the assessment of different financing solutions and, where appropriate, the complex process of securitizing regulatory assets.
By working closely with client teams, our trusted experts help structure securitization programs that create benefits for both shareholders and ratepayers. We combine our extensive regulatory knowledge and financial expertise to design effective securitization frameworks that are resilient under regulatory scrutiny and achieve the best possible economic results for all stakeholders.
Our methodology for determining the cost of service in utility ratemaking is built on a foundation of thorough analysis and precision. Through our approach, we assist utilities by developing detailed studies that ensure a fair distribution of costs among different customer classes while adhering to regulatory standards and industry best practices.
Our expertise spans a range of methodologies, which include the functionalization, classification, and allocation of costs related to distribution, transmission, and generation. By providing expert testimony, we help utilities defend their cost allocation strategies before regulatory commissions, enhancing the utility’s credibility and compliance.
Our trusted experts combine technical knowledge with strategic insight to produce cost of service studies that communicate the intricate nature of utility costs and promote fairness among customers. Using Concentric’s proprietary Cost of Service model, we enable clients to understand cost causation principles, pinpoint cross-subsidization challenges, and develop equitable rate structures. Our efforts have supported utilities in updating their cost allocation methods to meet the demands posed by emerging industry trends, such as the integration of renewable energy resources, advancements in storage technologies, and changing customer usage patterns.
Concentric’s team of regulatory experts has extensive knowledge of contemporary rate-setting practices, policies, and trends. They specialize in implementing performance-based rate plans, capital tracking mechanisms, and related alternative regulation mechanisms. By tailoring alternative ratemaking approaches to align with the specific business conditions of each client, the team strives to align the interests of regulators, shareholders, and ratepayers.
Our experts have made substantial contributions to innovative rate mechanisms that further social policy goals, including promoting economic efficiency, enhancing cost control, minimizing regulatory burdens, and facilitating more timely cost recovery. Their analysis encompasses evidence and regulatory decisions from across North America and internationally, enabling a thorough understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of various advocated approaches and the results they produce.
Concentric specializes in conducting lead-lag studies, which are essential for utilities in establishing and justifying their working capital requirements to state and provincial regulatory commissions. Our expertise encompasses the underlying theory and principles related to the inclusion of a working capital allowance in rate base, ensuring that our working capital estimations are complete and theoretically sound.
Our team is composed of skilled professionals who have completed lead-lag studies for utilities throughout North America. We are committed to ensuring compliance with strict regulatory standards while also identifying potential improvements in cash flow management. By utilizing our comprehensive understanding of utility operations and regulatory frameworks, we assist our clients in obtaining appropriate working capital allowances that genuinely reflect their operational realities.
Our methodology for marginal cost studies is essential for utilities to accurately analyze the true costs associated with serving incremental load within their service areas. By employing advanced economic modeling techniques and drawing on extensive industry knowledge, we assist clients in quantifying short- and long-term marginal costs across various functions, including generation, transmission, and distribution.
Our team of trusted experts has conducted numerous marginal cost studies for a diverse range of utility systems, spanning from vertically integrated utilities to restructured markets. These studies yield critical insights that are essential for informing rate design, resource planning, and regulatory strategies.
We create marginal cost analyses designed to withstand regulatory scrutiny and deliver actionable business intelligence. Our methodologies address emerging challenges, such as the integration of distributed energy resources, the adoption of electric vehicles, and investments in grid modernization. Our track record includes successfully defending these analyses before regulatory commissions across North America, aiding clients in establishing solid foundations for innovative rate structures and service offerings.
The ratemaking process is becoming increasingly intricate as utilities navigate the challenge of financing investments necessary to replace aging infrastructure and adopt new technologies, information systems, and business processes. This is crucial for accommodating emerging energy resources while balancing affordability for ratepayers and customer choice. Although the fundamental objectives of rate design have not changed, it must evolve to meet the demands of a competitive environment.
Concentric’s team of trusted rate design experts brings over 30 years of combined experience in all aspects of rate design. Our ongoing engagement with regulated utilities, transmission owners, and pipelines across North America allows us to stay informed about the latest industry developments. This extensive experience equips us with the knowledge to address the most complex regulatory challenges in the industry.
I want to pay a huge compliment to the Concentric team. They have worked tirelessly to help us solve cost of service and rate design issues in our current rate case. They are rockstars.
Our expertise in regulatory policy spans the development of rate cases, compliance strategies, and stakeholder engagement across the United States and Canada. We have effectively assisted clients through major regulatory transitions, which include integrating renewable energy resources, grid modernization efforts, and adapting to evolving regulatory initiatives.
By combining deep industry knowledge with hands-on implementation experience, we work collaboratively with utility executives and their teams to create compelling regulatory narratives, prepare evidence-based expert testimony, and establish strategic compliance programs. These programs aim to align regulatory requirements with business objectives. Our track record includes achieving positive outcomes in rate proceedings, policy reform initiatives, and the formulation of regulatory strategies for some of North America’s largest investor-owned utilities and energy companies.
Concentric offers expert testimony regarding capital structure and the cost of capital by integrating traditional theoretical models with a market-based approach. Our insights are grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the academic research related to traditional financing models used to estimate the cost of equity. We provide a detailed explanation of the theoretical foundations of various methods, as well as the underlying assumptions required for each method.
We utilize a cost of capital determination framework that assesses the required return to investors based on these methodologies, enabling us to deliver timely and relevant analytical results. Our models are continuously updated with the latest market data and meticulously tailored to reflect proxy companies that closely align with our client’s industry peers. We enhance our analysis by examining the unique business risks associated with each client, ensuring that our findings address each client’s specific needs.
Concentric brings decades of expertise in revenue requirement analysis, providing valuable services to clients throughout North America. Our offerings include detailed revenue requirement calculations, expert testimony, and regulatory support, all carefully aligned with local precedents and delivered thoughtfully and efficiently.
Our trusted experts have extensive, relevant experience that includes work with utilities, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and various state regulatory commissions.
We specialize in addressing critical issues such as test year and rate base specifications, tax changes, property tax valuations, pension accounting developments, and other cost drivers. We focus on integrating and supporting the reflection of capital investment plans in rate base, ensuring a comprehensive and principled approach to revenue requirements.
In the evolving energy landscape, effective stakeholder engagement plays an increasingly important role within the regulatory framework. Our team specializes in the development and implementation of stakeholder engagement programs that are designed to build trust, address concerns proactively, and create lasting partnerships.
One of our key strengths lies in preparing expert testimony for regulatory proceedings, allowing us to effectively communicate complex technical concepts to a diverse audience in a clear and accessible manner. We have significant experience assisting utilities in navigating the intricate dynamics of stakeholder engagement across various areas, including affordability, grid modernization initiatives, renewable energy transitions, and regulatory policy reforms.
By adopting a collaborative approach, we help clients achieve their strategic objectives while maintaining strong relationships with essential stakeholders and regulatory bodies.
I just wanted to say what a commendable job Concentric has done leading this diverse group of stakeholders. This is not an easy task to get all the parties to agree, but Concentric led us with proactiveness, thoroughness and a collaborative approach, making sure all voices were heard.
