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One-time enrollment · 12-month access
Enroll NowGroup pricing available →An introduction to utility finance, ownership structures, ratemaking, and cost recovery — designed for non-financial staff, board members, and other professionals who work with or oversee an electric utility or cooperative, without requiring an accounting background.
CPE Hours
Board members, city council members, commissioners, and non-financial staff are regularly asked to make decisions about electric utilities and cooperatives — approving rates, authorizing capital budgets, evaluating financial reports — without a background in utility finance or accounting.
This course closes that gap. You'll start with why electric utilities are regulated monopolies and how the regulatory compact works, then compare investor-owned utilities, electric cooperatives, and municipal utilities. From there, you'll learn how a utility earns its return through the revenue requirement, how capital investment becomes rate base and drives customer rates, and what a governing body member actually votes on.
No accounting background is required. This course is built for the decision-maker's perspective, so you can ask better questions and evaluate what's put in front of you with confidence.
Explain why electric utilities are regulated monopolies, how the regulatory compact works, and what that means for rate-setting
Course materials are provided for informational and educational purposes only. They do not constitute legal, accounting, or professional advice. Users should consult their own qualified legal, accounting, or other professional advisors regarding their specific circumstances.
Why electricity is treated as a regulated monopoly, how the regulatory compact works, and the fundamental difference between a market-priced product and a rate-regulated one.Free Preview | 1.1 The Regulated Utility Model | 1.2 Course Roadmap | 1.3 Course Learning Objectives | 1.4 Detailed Course Guide
A side-by-side comparison of investor-owned utilities (IOUs), electric cooperatives, and municipal/public power utilities — who owns them, who governs them, how profits or margins flow, and what makes each model distinct in its accountability structure. | 2.1 Ownership Structures — IOU vs. Cooperative vs. Municipal | 2.2 Exercise — Capitalize the Costs?
Introduces the revenue requirement — the total amount a utility or cooperative must collect from customers to cover costs and earn an allowed return — and connects its components to what customers see on their bills. | 3.1 How a Utility or Co-op Earns Its Return
Brings it all together from the decision-maker's perspective. What does a board member, city council member, or commissioner actually vote on, and what fiduciary responsibilities attach to that role? | 4.1 The Governing Body's Role | 4.2 Exercise — Practical Applications
Explains how infrastructure investment — power lines, substations, transformers, generation — becomes rate base, and why capital spending drives rate increases. | 5.1 Capital Investment and the Customer
A worked, applied walkthrough that ties the regulatory, ownership, revenue, governance, and capital concepts from Modules 1–5 together in a single example. | 6.1 Applied Financial Walkthrough | 6.2 Review Questions
A recap of what the course covered, your next steps, the final exam for CPE credit, and a short course evaluation. Your certificate of completion is available immediately upon passing. | 7.1 What We Covered — and What Comes Next | 7.2 Final Exam for CPE Credits | 7.3 Course Evaluation | 7.4 Your Next Steps
