Industry Focused
Built for electric cooperatives and utilities. Every course is tailored to your world, from utility accounting and rate design to management skills and practical AI tools for today’s finance office.
Learn the utility accounting and finance skills that elevate your value—and accelerate your career
Utility Accounting & Rates Specialists provides on-demand training for electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities and cooperatives, including FERC and RUS accounting, best-practices in construction accounting, financial reporting, key performance indicator analysis, rate studies, and application of artificial intelligence in the co-op and utility finance office. Courses are taught by Russ Hissom, CPA — a nationally recognized utility accounting and rate expert.
About Your Instructor
I’m Russ Hissom, CPA, and I’ve spent more than three decades working with electric cooperatives, public power utilities, investor-owned utilities, and municipal broadband, gas, water, and wastewater systems across the United States, Canada, and Guam. I’ve served as an instructor for national utility organizations since 1990, present at national industry conferences, and spent over 20 years as a partner in a national accounting and consulting firm.
My work includes utility accounting, cost-of-service and rate studies, financial modeling, and expert testimony before FERC and multiple state utility commissions. These experiences shape every course I create.
Each class is built on industry best practices and designed to help professionals and board members understand the accounting, finance, and rate concepts that matter most. My goal is to give you practical, real-world tools you can apply immediately in your organization. I look forward to having you in class!
Add Value to Your Organization, Build Skills and Confidence
Explore Course Categories
Co-op and Utility Accounting
Master FERC and RUS accounting, work orders, asset retirement, and financial reporting tailored for electric utilities and cooperatives.
FERC/RUS Construction Accounting
Learn construction accounting best practices, including capital project tracking and work order processes aligned with utility standards.
Rates
Understand revenue requirements, cost-of-service allocations, and rate design principles that impact your customers and your organization’s financial health.
Finance
Sharpen your budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis skills with practical insights that support smarter financial decision-making.
Learning Paths
Develop your own tailored learning path based on your experience level.
Management
Managers and Board Members can learn high-level skills in financial analysis and rates to assist with informed decision making.
Learning Paths for Co-op and Utility Accounting, Rates, and Management
Choose your own path — new accountants, CFOs, Board Members, and seasoned professionals!
Click on each picture for detailed information on the learning path!
Power and Utilities Industry Best Practices in Accounting, Rates, and Management
These courses are designed for
New co-op accountants
New utility accountants
Controllers
Board Members
Finance managers
Rate analysts
Chief Financial Officers
Our courses are designed for cooperative and utility employees and board members at every experience level, from brand new to seasoned professionals.
Join 1,000+ power and utilities professionals who have advanced their careers!
What Our Students Say
Our students have grown their skills by taking our courses. Here are just a few of their stories.
Here are separate learning paths that provide new accounting professionals with introductory and intermediate courses on electric co-op (RUS) or utility (FERC) accounting.
Courses included in the RUS learning path!
- Introduction to the Electric Industry
- RUS Accounting 101
- RUS Construction Accounting
- Electric Rates 101 - The Revenue Requirement
- Electric Rates 101 - Cost of Service and Rate Design
- How to Read and Analyze Financial Statements
- Using Key Performance Indicators
- Managing Patronage Capital and Cash Reserves
Courses included in the FERC learning path!
- Introduction to the Electric Industry
- FERC Accounting 101
- FERC Construction Accounting Standards
- Electric Rates 101 - The Revenue Requirement
- Electric Rates 101 - Cost of Service and Rate Design
- How to Read and Analyze Financial Statements
- Using Key Performance Indicators
Get a firm foundation in electric co-op or utility accounting that you can use in your everyday work and build on for the future!
This learning path provides new electric industry accounting professionals with an overview of the financial and accounting areas of a utility, including FERC accounting standards.
Courses included in this learning path!
- Introduction to the Electric Industry
- FERC Accounting 101
- FERC Construction Accounting Standards
- Electric Rates 101 - The Revenue Requirement
- Electric Rates 101 - Cost of Service and Rate Design
- How to Read and Analyze Financial Statements
- Using Key Performance Indicators
Get a firm foundation in electric utility and FERC accounting that you can use in your everyday work and build on for the future!
Why Choose Us?
Gain Certified Professional Education Credits
Courses provide certified education credits from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.
Customize Your Learning Track
Choose individual courses or build a customized learning track based on your experience level.
This learning path provides experienced accounting professionals with advanced topics in accounting, rates, and financial reporting.
Courses included in this learning path!
- Developing Electric Rates
- Advanced Construction Accounting
- Regulatory Accounting Using ASC 980/GASB 62 - 1 - Implementing and Common Uses
- Regulatory Accounting Using ASC 980/GASB 62 - 2 - Advanced Uses and Discontinuing
- ESG Accounting
- Allocating Interdepartmental Costs
- ASC 360 - Impairment Accounting
- GASB 42 - Impairment Accounting
These advanced courses will provide background information to use to navigate the changing industry and record some of those "difficult" transactions.
This learning path provides Board, Commission, and Council members with insights into financial reporting and utility rates.
Courses included in this learning path!
- Introduction to the Electric Industry
- Electric Rates 101 - Revenue Requirement
- Electric Rates 101 - Cost of Service and Rate Design
- How to Read and Analyze Financial Statements
- Using Key Performance Indicators
- Strategies for Managing Patronage Capital and Cash Reserves
These classes give insights on where to focus your attention in reports to make informed approvals and decisions.
This learning path provides details on best-practices in electric construction accounting.
Courses included in this learning path!
- Step 1 | Standard Units
- Step 2 | Construction Overheads
- Step 3 | Classifying Projects
- Step 4 | Fixed Asset Accounting
- Advanced Construction Accounting
- Allocating Interdepartmental Costs
- Asset Impairments and Decommissioning Costs
- ASC 360 - Impairment Accounting
- GASB 42 - Impairment Accounting
Applying best practices in construction accounting will lead to better cost of service and rate design studies, and more accurate financial statements.
For a broad range of classes in accounting, rates, and business strategy, an All-Access Annual or 3-Month Membership or Group Pricing may be the perfect fit for your professional development needs.
An All-Access Membership includes:
• Unlimited access to 30+ expert-led courses and materials
• Over 30 continuing education credits, certified by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
• Downloadable spreadsheets, templates, and tools you can use immediately
• New content added regularly
• On-demand access from desktop, tablet, or mobile app
• Auto-renews with easy cancellation anytime
• Continued access through the end of your membership period, even after cancellation
We’re continuously expanding our course library with practical, example-driven content rooted in real-world best practices—so your learning evolves as the industry does.
We offer on-demand courses and learning paths tailored to your cooperative or utility. The group courses are offered at discounted rates.
Business training
We provide classes for team members in operations, accounting, finance, and management. Courses and learning paths include short and longer courses in:
- FERC and RUS accounting fundamentals
- FERC and RUS construction accounting standards
- Course paths for new Board members and employees on industry accounting, finance, and rates
- Developing cost of service studies and designing customer rates
- Reading and analyzing financial statements
- Managing operations and finances with key performance indicators
- Using regulatory accounting to manage rate recovery
Our services include bulk enrolling your team, monitoring their progress (or providing group monitoring to your team’s training manager).
Contact us for a discussion on how we can structure a grouping of courses that meet your team’s learning objectives.
The Resource Library includes over 40 on-demand courses, free downloads, and free videos.
The library includes:
- Individual courses with materials for download.
- Learning paths of bundled courses focused on specific learning paths and experience levels.
- Free spreadsheet downloads that are ready to use. Spreadsheets are designed to save time and can be tailored to your organization.
- Free videos on implementing recent accounting standards (FASB and GASB) and productivity topics.
Seeking information on a specific topic or an industry best-practice? See what the Resource Library has to offer.
Companies and markets that we serve
Learn at your own pace with industry experts with online, on-demand professional development courses!
Join thousands of students and take your skills to the next level!
Utility Accounting and Rates Specialists, LLC is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: NASBAregistry.org.
Course Accreditation, Requirements, and Refund and Cancellation Policy
Course #: AT-3
Program Level: Basic
Area of Study: Accounting - Technical
Delivery: QAS Self Study
Prerequisites: None
Advanced Preparation: None
CPE Credits: 1.00
Last Reviewed: 8.1.24
Access Period: 12 months
Exam Questions: 5
Passing Grade: 70%
Retakes: Unlimited
Refunds and cancellations: Requests for refunds must be made in writing within 30 days for purchasing the course. No refunds will be granted after the qualified assessment has been completed. For any concerns, please contact us at 608 628 4020 or at [email protected].
Learn in demand
skills online
Premium courses from industry experts
Explore coursesOur courses have been taken by over 1,000 professionals from all experience levels!
I have questions!
Help & FAQ
CPAs should check with their specific state of licensure for any limitations on the amount of self-study CPE they are allowed to take, as well as any category-specific requirements.
Not sure where to start?
Strengthen your utility finance skills with our FERC Accounting 101 Course or with the RUS Accounting 101 Course, Construction Accounting or go deeper with the complete New Utility Accounting Employee Training Bundle. Any of these courses will send you on your learning journey, or check out the full course library for the broad array of possibilities.
Additional Resources
Whether you’re new to utility accounting or refining advanced skills, these resources offer clear, practical explanations of the concepts that matter most. Explore the articles below to deepen your knowledge and support your professional growth.
- Using the FERC Uniform System of Accounts
- FERC and RUS Construction Accounting - Allocating Equipment Costs
- Best Practices in Allocating Construction Overheads
- Implementing AI in the Utility Finance Office
- Evolving Electric Rate Design - Meeting Modern Grid Challenges