Event Profile

Electric Utility Business Fundamentals

Date(s):
March 31 — April 1, 2022
Venue:
Hilton Garden Inn Bend
Description:

Note:

The pre-registration is currently closed. If you would like to attend this event, please come to the NWPPA registration desk at the hotel, and our onsite coordinator will be happy to help you.

Who Should Attend:

New employees (we recommend at least six months at the utility before attending), experienced employees, utility commissioners, and board members who want to expand their understanding of how a utility business works.

Related Event(s):

Developing Your Department's Strategic Plan , March 29-30, 2022

Course Overview:

There are many interesting roles and opportunities in today’s electric utility. With the changes in energy sources, community needs, legislative impact, and consumer requirements, being new in this business can be exciting and challenging. The acronyms alone are daunting! Even those with years of experience are finding that a refresher is helpful in order to see the big picture. This course is two days of content, examples, resources, and discussion to help get a handle on the various components of the business of the electric utility and how they fit together.

Areas of focus during the two days are:

  • Differences between community-owned and investor-owned utilities
  • What does it mean to be a vertically integrated utility
  • The various functions of a utility
  • Customer load
  • A look at the region
  • Balancing authorities
  • Load and resources
  • Balancing load, resources, and wholesale power markets
  • The alphabet soup of federal and state regulators and other touchpoints with utilities
  • The evolving power grid
  • Utility financial management
  • The electric rate-making process
  • Customers and their changing needs and expectations
  • Safety
  • Utility workforce in transition

You’ll leave this class with just enough knowledge to be dangerous!

Course Instructor:

Julie Ryan, Aether Advisors

Course Schedule:

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. on day one, and the class will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time on both days. Lunch and refreshments will be provided on both days.

Course Location and Hotel Information:

Hilton Garden Inn Bend
425 SW Bluff Drive
Bend, OR 97702
(541) 617-6111

Room rate: $186

Please book your room as soon as possible but no later than March 8, 2022. Mention that you are coming in with the NWPPA group when booking your reservation.

Course Fees:

Utility Member Early Bird (ends 8/7/2021): $1,100
Utility Member Standard: $1,175

Associate Member Early Bird (ends 8/7/2021): $1,650
Associate Member Standard: $1,725

Non-Member Early Bird (ends 8/7/2021): $3,300
Non-Member Standard: $3,375

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations are accepted with a full refund as follows:

For webinars and virtual classes, if the request is made at least five days prior to the course, then 100% of the registration fee will be refunded.

For in-person events, the following fee structure applies: cancellation at least 30 days prior to the event, full refund; within 15-29 days, $100 fee; and within 1-14 days or no show, 100% of the registration fee. When possible, please send a substitute instead of canceling because NWPPA does not charge a fee for substitutions.

Continuing Hours:

This course qualifies for 12 continuing hours. Certificates are issued upon full completion of the course.

For More Information:

To find out more about this event, or to learn about other events, view the Training and Event Catalog.