New Electric Cooperative Employee Accounting Learning Path
Start off your cooperative financial career with a solid background in the electricity business.
This bundle includes 6 courses, 8 hours of content, and 8.50 professional education credits. Add insights to your organization and benefit your career knowledge! (Total value - $932.00)
All of the courses in every learning path are included with an annual membership!
Your Price!
$257.00
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.
Russ Hissom, CPA is a national expert in utility accounting, cost-of-service, and rate design with 35+ years of experience supporting electric co-ops and electric, gas, water, wastewater, and broadband utilities across the U.S., Canada, and Guam. His courses blend real-world consulting experience with practical tools professionals can apply immediately.
Courses Included in Your Learning Path!
All courses include information you can use today in your utility!
Approaches to Managing Patronage Capital and Cash Reserves
A key financing component for an electric cooperative operations and projects is called patronage capital. This class details patronage capital financing and how to calculate optimal cash reserves. (1.00 credits)
Value: $97.00 Included!
Financial Reporting & KPI Mastery for Utility Finance Leaders
Controllers and CFOs need financial analysis that supports operations, capital investment, and board reporting. Learn how to distill financials into actionable insights and apply KPIs to track performance and implement strategy. (CPE credits-2.50)
Value: $197.00 Included!
Co-op and Utility Rate Study Fundamentals: Revenue Requirement, Cost of Service (COS) & Rate Design
A complete introduction to utility rate studies—learn how the ratemaking process works - revenue requirements, allocate costs, cost-of-service, and designing fair, defensible rates. (CPE credits -1.00)
Value: $97.00 Included!
Mastering Electric Construction Cost Accounting Under FERC & RUS
FERC and RUS define the gold-standard for electric construction accounting. In this course, you’ll learn exactly how to apply those rules so your construction costs are accurate, defensible, and fully recovered through rates. (2.00 credits)
Value: $157.00 Included!
Understanding and Reviewing Financial Statements
If you're a new electric finance employee, Board Member, or in management, understanding the financials can be a challenge. Here's insights into analyzing financial statements, what to review, what to skip, and questions to ask. (CPE credits - 1.00)
Value: $47.00 Included!
Comprehensive Introduction to the Electric Industry
If you are new to the electric industry, here's an in-depth introduction of how the business delivers electricity to its customers, regulation, what people do to provide service, and how rates are developed! (2.00 credits)
Value: $127.00 Included!
RUS Accounting 101 - Essential Guide to Electric Co-op Accounting
The RUS USOA sets the standard for co-op accounting. Learn how to use it confidently with real-world examples and proven techniques. (1.50 credits)
Value: $157.00 Included!
What You'll Learn!
You'll have an in-depth introduction to the business, including learning how electricity is produced and delivered to customers
You'll be able to identify what people do in a utility or co-op and the impact each position has on your organization
You'll learn how electric rates are developed and how customers pay for their use of electricity
We'll discuss trends in the electric industry and what the electric industry of the future may look like
You will be able to converse confidently with your team using electric industry terms
You will know the details for RUS construction accounting
You will know the distinction between capital and maintenance activities and how it impacts your electric rates
You will be able to design a standard construction unit and know how to apply it in your work order system
You will know the inputs and calculations for all overheads that should be included in construction projects
Knowing the journal entries for all overheads will be part of your skills
You will learn the methods for allocating interdepartmental costs
You'll learn about the components of the revenue requirement
We'll demonstrate how to determine the rate of return to apply to the investment in utility infrastructure
We'll discuss how the revenue requirement feeds the cost of service study
We'll discuss how the revenue requirement is used to provide service to customers
You'll learn the questions to ask to make management and board decisions on approving an annual revenue requirement
You'll be introduced to the RUS Uniform System of Accounts (USOA) so you can find answers when you need them
You'll be introduced to the FERC Form 1 and learn about how the FERC USOA is used for financial reporting for co-ops regulated by FERC
You will be able to apply practical uses of the RUS USOA
You'll learn how the financial statements are used in the electric business
You'll learn about the accounting oversight bodies
We'll do a high-level review of the financial statements, so you'll learn how to "speak accounting"
You'll learn the important KPI's that impact performance and rates
You'll learn how the financial statements tell the story of your organization
You'll learn where the amounts used in the cost of service study come from
We'll demonstrate how "load curves' are a key component in determining the costs to serve customers
We'll discuss the main allocators in a cost of service study
We'll discuss the "art" and the "science" in rate design
You'll learn the direct questions to ask to make management and board decisions on approving electric rates proposed by management and/or consultants
We'll discuss what patronage capital is and strategies for managing patronage capital and capital credits
We Have Served Over 1,000 Professionals from All Experience Levels!
What Our Students Say
Our students have grown their skills by taking our courses. Here are just a few of their stories.Companies and markets that we serve
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-2,AT-3, FT-4, FT-6, B-1
Program Level: Basic
Area of Study: Accounting - Technical
Delivery: QAS Self Study
Prerequisites: None
Advanced Preparation: None
CPE Credits: 8.50 total for all classes
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].
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