Vice President, Regulatory Affairs

Reporting to the Exec. VP, Regulatory & External Affairs, the position of the Vice President, Regulatory Affairs manages and conducts revenue requirement, cost of service and rate design studies to ensure cost recovery and the equitable recovery of costs among customers for electric, natural gas and telecommunications services.

Manages the Association’s operating tariff and negotiates special contracts for electric service to retail and wholesale members.

Develops alternative rate structures in response to business conditions.

Maintains effective ongoing communication with the appropriate regulatory agencies, legislative committees, and other utility groups to proactively address the interests of the Association.

The VP, Regulatory Affairs must excel in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment, sometimes requiring long hours to meet the Association needs; this position requires both successful independent and team working environments.

Essential Functions

Manages regulatory filings including but not limited to general rate case filings, simplified rate filings, fuel and purchased power cost filings, gas contracts, charges and fees, power pooling, line losses, avoided cost rates (average and marginal), special contracts (retail and wholesale), operating tariff changes, special contracts, and filings in support of telecommunications, natural gas transfer pricing (and related studies), and dockets and related proceedings studies before regulatory agencies.

Prepares and presents written and oral testimony, as required.

Provides direction in the development of filings and strategy in response to Commission and intervenor inquiries.

Develops Strategies, oversees timelines for regulatory filings on electric, natural gas, and telecommunications matters to endure cost recovery and compliance with Alaska Statute, Alaska Administrative Code, the Association’s operating tariff, and financial and operating requirements.

Monitors state regulatory agency docket filings of interest to the Association; participates directly and represents the Association in Commission proceedings.

Provides regulatory guidance to the Association on existing and new regulations as needed.

Ensures the Association has all necessary and appropriate information to timely analyze, propose and modify or implement tariffs and rates that meet the Association’s operational and financial goals.

Develops and recommends retail and wholesale pricing strategies consistent with the goals of the organization, including special contracts and long-term wholesale power agreements.

Prepares strategies to ensure that the Association will be prepared to address changing regulatory developments and market conditions.

Directs the preparation of economic and financial studies that examine impacts of proposed Association activities.

Directs the preparation of contracts for consulting services and manages outside consultants, as required.

Coordinates with other departments in the preparation of revenue requirements studies (electric and gas) to ensure cost recovery.

Coordinates ongoing studies with other divisions and departments and makes recommendations in view of regulatory and pricing issues.

Develops alternative rate designs, including seasonal and time of use, in response to market and operational conditions.

Establishes the parameters, in a changing economic and regulatory climate, for the preparation of revenue requirement analyses, embedded and marginal cost-of-service studies, rate design, load research, alternative and innovative rate studies as authorized or required by regulatory agencies, state or national legislation, power supply agreements and other special contracts.

Represents the Association before the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, Alaska Legislature, Railbelt utility organizations and other forums in the development of strategies and action plans to address economic and regulatory environments.

Prepares guidelines and monitors tariff advice letters proposing new or revised terms and conditions to operating tariffs based on the goals and operational needs of the various divisions to ensure the Association consistently promotes the objectives in its strategic plan.

Provides key inputs to the Association’s Strategic Plan consistent with regulatory and market requirements.

Manages capital credit allocations methodologies and the allocation of retail and wholesale capital credits.

Manages monthly fuel and purchases power cost assignment on a customer-class basis.

Prepares monthly reports and other routine reports, as required.

Develops long and short-range goals for the Regulatory Affairs Department, consistent with the Association’s financial and operational requirements.

Establishes appropriate review procedures for all work completed by the Regulatory Affairs Department.

Relationships

Internal

Exec. VP Regulatory & External Affairs: Reports to, receives direction, guidance, and decisions from.

Rate Analyst: Confers with, provides direction to, gives, and receives information.

Regulatory & Business Development Analyst: Confers with, provides direction to, gives, and receives information.

Key Accounts, Business Development, and Legal Managers: Confers with, gives, and receives information.

General Counsel: Confers with in obtaining the provision of legal representation before regulatory and governmental agencies.

Other Departments: Seeks information from, shares information with, and coordinates projects, including accounting, engineering, dispatch, operations, generation, member services, administration, land services, security, and others.

External

RCA: Coordinates the development of appropriate strategies to address the Association’s short and long-term financial and regulatory requirements.

FERC: Monitor its decisions and initiatives; propose and communicate strategies to address requirements and impacts.

Legislature: Represents the Association in the development of changes to laws and statutes to facilitate appropriate and efficient regulation in the utility industry.

Utility Organizations: Coordinate/negotiate appropriate strategies.

Consultants: Manage and establish general guidelines on strategies, approaches and expected results.

Wholesale Customers: Explain Association regulatory approaches; coordinate appropriate retail approaches for wholesale customer end-users.

Retail Customers: Communicate the Association’s philosophy, strategies, and offerings to trade groups, large commercial customers, and residential customer meetings.

Competencies

Knowledge of all aspects of the requirements of a competitive marketplace.

Knowledge and understanding of ratemaking theory and practice, particularly the various approaches to cost-of-service is requires.

Ability to withstand cross-examination in adversarial proceedings.

Familiarity with primary hardware and software requirements and data processing.

Familiarity with auditing, budgeting, economic, and statistical concepts, principles, and techniques.

Superior analytical and communication skills.

Ability to analyze and sold non-routine economic, financial, and pricing analysis.

Ability to prepare thorough, logical, and defensible financial and economic analysis, and rate studies which withstand the scrutiny of regulatory agencies, consumer groups and other affected parties.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position supervises the Manager, Regulatory Affairs and Administrative Secretary, Regulatory Affairs.

Work Environment

Work will be performed in a standard office environment.

Frequent long hours due to deadlines and considerable pressures from adversarial regulatory proceedings.

Occasional travel outside the state may be required.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, business, or related discipline. Master’s degree in Business, Economics, Public Policy, or related is also required.

Experience

Fifteen years’ experience working for a regulated utility, with similarly complex duties through which the skills and abilities have been developed and can be demonstrated is required.

Preference given to electric utility experience.

Minimum of five years working at a manager level, leading teams, or serving as the subject matter expert for regulatory and/or ratemaking processes.

Must have experience in ratemaking, applying various approaches to meet cost-of-service requirement(s).

Must have experience defending, supporting, and withstanding adversarial proceedings, hearings, and/or cross-examination(s).