Advanced Topics in Regulatory Accounting — ASC 980 & GASB 62
Build on the fundamentals of regulatory accounting with advanced applications — from contributions in aid of construction and power plant decommissioning to pension obligations, revenue decoupling, and how to properly discontinue regulatory accounting when rate recovery is no longer probable.
- 15 lessons · 1.5 hours of video
- Downloadable PDF & Excel materials
- Journal entry examples and templates
- Review questions in each module
- NASBA-compliant final exam (10 questions)
- Certificate of completion (2.00 CPE)
Go Further with Regulatory Accounting
Once you understand the fundamentals of ASC 980 and GASB 62, a range of more complex situations awaits — and this course addresses them directly. From the accounting for contributions in aid of construction and power plant decommissioning to long-term pension and post-employment benefit obligations, you'll learn how regulatory accounting applies beyond routine expense deferrals.
The course also covers revenue decoupling — an increasingly important topic as utilities manage volumetric revenue risk — and the financial statement disclosures required for all regulatory accounting items. Perhaps most critically, it walks through exactly how and when to discontinue regulatory accounting, including how to write off regulatory balances and present the financial impact clearly.
This is the natural follow-on to Mastering Regulatory Assets and the second course in the Mastering Co-op & Utility Regulatory Accounting Career Track.
- Controllers and CFOs managing complex regulatory balances
- Senior accountants handling CIAC, AROs, or pension cost deferrals
- Rate analysts involved in decoupling or long-term cost recovery
- Finance staff responsible for regulatory accounting disclosures
- Consultants and auditors advising utilities on ASC 980 and GASB 62
Russ Hissom, CPA
Russ Hissom, CPA is a principal of UtilityEducation.com, providing on-demand professional education in FERC, RUS, FASB, and GASB accounting, finance, and ratemaking for electric utilities and cooperatives. With over 35 years of hands-on industry experience, he brings real-world expertise to a modern learning platform trusted by more than 1,000 professionals.
What You'll Be Able to Do After This Course
Inside the Course
Course orientation and a recap of regulatory accounting fundamentals to set the stage for advanced topics.
- 1. Welcome to Advanced Topics in Regulatory Accounting
- Lesson Menu / Index
- 2. Course Overview
- 3. What You'll Learn
- 4. Recap of Regulatory Accounting Basics
Apply regulatory accounting to contributions in aid of construction and the decommissioning of power plants.
- 5. Regulatory Accounting for CIAC and Power Plant Decommissioning
Use regulatory accounting to defer and recover long-term liabilities including pension and post-employment benefit costs.
- 6. Regulatory Accounting for Long-Term Liabilities
- 7. Review Questions — Part 1
Understand revenue decoupling mechanisms and how regulatory accounting is applied to separate revenue recovery from volumetric sales.
- 8. Regulatory Accounting for Revenue Decoupling
- Thought Break
Learn when and how to discontinue regulatory accounting — including how to write off regulatory balances and present the financial statement impact.
- 9. Discontinuing Regulatory Accounting Free Preview
Review key takeaways and pass the final exam to earn your 2.00 CPE certificate.
- 10. Review Questions — Part 2
- 11. Course Summary & Wrap-Up
- 12. Course Evaluation
- 13. Final Exam
Trusted by Over 1,000 Utility Professionals
"This course finally helped me understand when and how to properly discontinue regulatory accounting. The CIAC and decommissioning examples were exactly what I needed."
"The decoupling module opened my eyes to something I knew existed but never really understood. Clear, practical, and directly applicable to our situation."
"I've been applying ASC 980 for years but never fully understood the pension and post-employment benefit side. This course filled that gap."
"The section on discontinuing regulatory accounting is the best explanation I've found anywhere. We had balances we weren't sure how to handle and this resolved it."
"The financial statement disclosure module alone was worth the price. We had an audit question and this gave me exactly the framework I needed."
"Great follow-on to the foundational regulatory accounting course. The advanced scenarios are the ones that actually come up in practice."
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Courses
Stabilize Rates with Advanced Regulatory Accounting
Build the expertise to handle CIAC, decommissioning, decoupling, and discontinuance — and earn 2.00 NASBA CPE credits.
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.
Requests for refunds must be made in writing within 30 days of 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.
Course materials are provided for informational and educational purposes only. They do not constitute legal, accounting, or professional advice. © 2026 Utility Accounting & Rates Specialists, LLC. All rights reserved.