Understanding the Electric Business

Build real industry knowledge — fast. Four courses designed for non-financial utility and cooperative professionals covering how the electric industry works, how to read financial statements, how KPIs drive decisions, and how electric rates are built.

4
Courses
|
6
CPE Hours
|
NASBA Registered
|
Certificate of Completion
$

397

Enroll Now →
Also included with annual membership
$598
 value · save
47%
Putting a team through this track? Group pricing and a shared portal are available →

4

Courses

6

CPE Hours

5.0★

Average Rating

1,000+

Professionals Served

The industry knowledge every utility professional should have

Many professionals working in or alongside the utility industry — in operations, HR, legal, communications, IT, engineering, and member services — have deep expertise in their own field but limited context for how the business actually works financially. That knowledge gap makes cross-functional collaboration harder and limits career growth.

This series fills that gap. Four practical courses build the financial literacy, industry context, and analytical framework any utility professional needs — without requiring an accounting background. No prerequisites, no jargon — just clear, relevant knowledge you can apply starting day one.

Who This Track Is For

  • Operations, engineering, and field professionals at utilities and co-ops
  • HR, IT, legal, and communications staff seeking industry context
  • New employees at utilities or cooperatives — any department
  • Board members and executive leadership
  • Consultants, auditors, and attorneys serving utility clients

How You'll Learn

Short Lessons, Not Long Lectures - Focused video lessons you can fit around your workday.
Interactive Videos - Questions, activities and interactive content inside each video keep you engaged.
Hands-On Practice - Exercises let you test your judgment and reinforce key points.
Job-Ready Toolkits - Downloadable tools and guides for future reference or on the job.
Practical Applications - Apply concepts to realistic situations.
Built-In Reinforcement - Review questions throughout the course support retention of the material.

What You'll Achieve

Explain how electricity is produced, delivered, and priced — and how your utility fits into the broader industry
Monitor the KPIs that signal financial health and operational performance — and know when the numbers warrant deeper scrutiny
Collaborate more effectively across departments because you understand how the business fits together
Interpret financial statements with confidence and ask informed questions instead of relying solely on staff summaries
Understand how electric rates are built and evaluate rate study recommendations with a clear framework
Earn 5.50 NASBA CPE hours and have an insider's understanding of the electric business
Courses in This Track

Recommended sequence

Courses can be taken in any order based on your priorities.
1

Comprehensive Introduction to the Electric Industry: How the Power Business Really Works

How electricity is generated, delivered, and priced — how utilities and co-ops are structured, who does the work, and what the industry of the future looks like. The essential starting point for every board member.

1.50
CPE Credits
2

Understanding and Reviewing Financial Statements

What utility financial statements really show, what matters most, and the questions that lead to better governance decisions — written for board members, not accountants.

1.50
CPE Credits
3

Using Key Performance Indicators to Drive Performance

The KPIs that matter most for utility financial health and operational performance — and how board members can use them to monitor results and ask better questions of management.

1.50
CPE Credits
4

Co-op & Utility Rate Study Fundamentals: Revenue Requirements, Cost of Service & Rate Design

How electric rates are built from the ground up — revenue requirements, cost allocation, and rate design — and what board members should be asking when reviewing or approving a rate study.

1.00
CPE Credits

What Our Students Say

★★★★★

"As an operations manager I always felt out of my depth when budget season came around. These courses gave me the financial context I needed to actually contribute to the conversation instead of just nodding along."

Matt - Operations Manager - Electric Cooperative
★★★★★

"We sent four of our city council members through this track before our rate study review. The quality of their questions to our consultant was noticeably better. It made the whole process more productive for everyone in the room."

Tom - General Manager - Public Power Utility
★★★★★

"I do rate case filings for utility clients and always struggled to explain the basics to non-utility attorneys joining the team. This series is now required reading for anyone in our practice who works on utility matters."

Jennifer - Rate Consultant - Utility Rate Consulting Practice

Your Instructor

Russ Hissom, CPA

Principal, UtilityEducation.com — 35+ Years of Utility Accounting Experience

Russ Hissom is a nationally recognized expert in utility accounting and ratemaking, with more than 35 years of experience helping electric utilities and cooperatives navigate FERC, RUS, FASB, and GASB accounting standards. As founder of UtilityEducation.com, Russ has built a comprehensive CPE curriculum drawing on decades of hands-on work with regulatory accounting, construction accounting, and rate case support for investor-owned utilities, public power, and electric cooperatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an accounting or finance background?
+

No. This series is designed for professionals who work in or around utilities but don't come from accounting or finance. The language is clear and practical — focused on building real industry knowledge, not on accounting theory.

Can we enroll a team or department as a group?
+

Yes — group enrollment options are available for organizations enrolling multiple staff members. Email or call 608-628-4020 to discuss group pricing.

What is included and how long is access?
+

All video lessons, downloadable slides, exercises, and templates for all five courses. 12 months of access from purchase. Study at your own pace — on desktop, tablet, or mobile.

I don't work in accounting or finance, how will this career track help me?
+

Having a deeper understanding of the electric business, how rates are recovered from customers, and how what you do impacts financial results will deepen your foundational knowledge and help you provide value to the organization. What you do impacts the organization and its customers.

How much time do I have to finish the courses?
+

You will have 12 months from the date of purchase to complete the courses. Take each course in bite-sized morsels and you'll be finished before you know it.

Have more questions?
+

Email or call 608-628-4020. We welcome questions anytime.

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