Mastering Regulatory Accounting Career Track
Use regulatory accounting as the strategic financial management tool it was designed to be. Five courses covering ASC 980, GASB 62, asset impairments, decommissioning, and rate recovery — built for the finance professionals responsible for making it work.
Make regulatory accounting work for your organization — not just on paper
Regulatory accounting under ASC 980 and GASB 62 is one of the most powerful financial management tools available to rate-regulated utilities and cooperatives — but it's also one of the most underused. This track builds the complete working knowledge needed to implement it confidently, apply it to complex transactions, and use it strategically to stabilize rates and financial results.
Courses cover the full regulatory accounting lifecycle — from initial implementation through expense deferrals, revenue recovery, advanced applications, asset impairments, decommissioning, and when and how to properly discontinue regulatory accounting. Applicable to private utilities, electric cooperatives, and public power organizations, with course-level guidance on which standards apply to each entity type.
- Controllers and CFOs managing regulatory accounting balances
- Senior accountants responsible for regulatory deferrals and disclosures
- Rate analysts connecting regulatory accounting to cost-of-service studies
- Finance managers involved in storm recovery and extraordinary event accounting
- Consultants advising utilities on ASC 980 and GASB 62 implementation
- Auditors of electric utilities and cooperatives
After completing this track you will be able to:
Recommended sequence
Courses 1 and 2 apply to all utilities and co-ops. Courses 3–5 cover impairment accounting — take the one(s) that match your entity type (see badges).
The foundational course — use ASC 980 and GASB 62 to align expense and revenue recognition with approved rates, defer storm costs and extraordinary items, and stabilize financial results throughout the year.
CIAC, power plant decommissioning, long-term pension obligations, revenue decoupling, and how to properly discontinue regulatory accounting when rate recovery is no longer probable.
Apply GASB 42 and GASB 83 to account for asset impairments and retirement obligations — then use GASB 62 to defer and recover those costs through rates.
Identify impairment triggers, apply the correct measurement methods, record the accounting entries, and use ASC 980 to recover impairment losses through customer rates.
How public power and municipal utilities must assess and record capital asset impairments under GASB 42 — indicators, measurement methods, and the reporting required for financial accuracy.
Which impairment courses apply to you? Course 3 (GASB 42/83/62) is for public power and municipal utilities. Course 4 (ASC 360) is for private-sector utilities and electric cooperatives. Course 5 (GASB 42) is a standalone deep dive for public power. Most enrollees take the two courses relevant to their entity type — all five are included in the enrollment price.
"This track finally made regulatory accounting practical instead of theoretical. The real-world examples showed exactly how to use ASC 980 and GASB 62 to manage financial volatility and align revenues and expenses with rates."
"We had a major ice storm and I had no confidence in how we were deferring the repair costs. After Course 1, I went back and reworked our entire storm damage accounting treatment. The difference in our financials was material."
"The discontinuance section in Course 2 is something I've never seen covered clearly anywhere else. We had regulatory balances we weren't sure how to handle when our rate recovery situation changed — this resolved it completely."
Russ Hissom, CPA has worked with the regulatory accounting implications of rate cases, storm events, plant retirements, and long-term cost recovery strategies for utilities and cooperatives for over 35 years. The courses in this track reflect the practical, judgment-intensive work that comes with actually implementing these standards in real organizations.
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.
Become the regulatory accounting expert your organization needs
Earn 8.50 NASBA CPE hours and a Regulatory Accounting Expert Certificate. Five courses covering the full regulatory accounting lifecycle.
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.