AI Applications for Co-op & Utility Finance Professionals
Build practical AI skills for the finance office — from foundational concepts through board report automation, advanced prompting, and team implementation. No coding or technical background required.
Practical AI skills built for the utility finance office
Most AI courses are built for a general audience. This track is built specifically for co-op and utility accounting and finance professionals — the examples, templates, and prompt formulas are drawn from actual utility finance work: variance analysis, board reports, rate strategy narratives, KPI communications, and management presentations.
The three courses progress from foundational through advanced, building skills you can apply immediately — starting with your first course. Works with any major AI platform: ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, or Google Gemini.
- Accountants and controllers at utilities and co-ops
- CFOs and finance managers looking to work more efficiently
- Operational managers who prepare financial reports
- Board members who want to understand AI's role in finance
- Anyone in utility finance with no coding or AI background
After completing this track you will be able to:
Recommended sequence
Each course builds on the previous. Course 1 assumes no prior AI experience — start there regardless of your background.
How large language models work, what they can and can't do, and how to use AI to automate reporting, analyze financial data, and protect sensitive information — no technical background required.
Prompt formulas that generate professional variance explanations, board reports, and management communications. Turn raw financial data into clear narratives for any audience.
Advanced prompting, prompt chaining, quality control frameworks, agentic AI workflows, and team implementation strategies — for professionals ready to move beyond the basics.
"I went from being intimidated by AI to making it part of my daily workflow. The courses build on each other perfectly, and the templates and checklists are exactly what I needed to get started with confidence."
"The board report module alone was worth the price. I used the prompt formula from Course 2 the same week to draft our quarterly narrative — what used to take me two hours took twenty minutes."
"The AI governance and team rollout section in Course 3 is something I haven't seen anywhere else. We used the policy framework to get our board comfortable with the idea before we rolled out AI tools across the finance team."
Russ Hissom, CPA brings 35+ years of utility accounting and finance expertise to the challenge of making AI actually useful in the finance office. These courses reflect the practical, no-hype approach he applies to everything: here's what works, here's what to watch out for, and here's how to make it part of your daily workflow.
Frequently asked questions
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.
Start using AI in your finance office this week
Earn 5.50 NASBA CPE hours and an AI Applications Finance Certificate. No coding required — just practical skills built for utility and co-op finance professionals.
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 russ.hissom@utilityeducation.com.