Expert Details
Wholesale and Retail Electricity Markets, Contract Negotiation and Litigation
ID: 727314
California, USA
Expert has conducted investigations into the structure and outcomes of wholesale electricity markets, and has advised clients in the Northwest and
nationally on wholesale restructuring, including proposals for restructuring the California and Northwest markets.
Expert is responsible for an annual power supply budget of approximately $80 million, which includes contract negotiation, litigation, understanding of market
conditions, managing analysts, regulatory compliance (renewable requirements and carbon allowances), and energy trading.
Expert has appeared as an expert witness before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Bonneville Power Administration, and state public utility commissions on a wide variety of issues regarding wholesale and retail price determination, including cost allocation, marginal-cost rates, ancillary service rates, and transmission rates.
Expert testimony in litigation regarding antitrust damages, contract damages, contract interpretation, wholesale and retail power pricing, transmission pricing, transmission terms and conditions, implementation of FERC mandates, condemnation proceedingsMarket analysis in wholesale power markets, land lease rights-of-way; evaluation of market monitoring in restructured wholesale power markets; market potential for distributed storage start-up companyCost-effectiveness of investments and expenditures on fisheries restoration; economic impacts of critical habitat designation
Education
Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
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Year: 1981 | Degree: Ph.D. | Subject: Economics | Institution: Yale University |
Year: 1979 | Degree: M.Phil. | Subject: Economics | Institution: Yale University |
Year: 1976 | Degree: M.A. | Subject: Economics | Institution: Yale University |
Year: 1974 | Degree: B.A. | Subject: Economics | Institution: Reed College |
Work History
Years | Employer | Title | Department |
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Years: 1996 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: President | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Expert has been an independent consulting economist since 1996, and has been employed in the electricity industry since 1982. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2011 to 2015 | Employer: City of Glendale, California | Title: Integrated Resources Planning Administrator | Department: Water and Power |
Responsibilities:(Undisclosed) |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2010 to 2011 | Employer: Union of Concerned Scientists | Title: Senior Energy Economist | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:(Undisclosed) |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2007 to 2009 | Employer: Reed College | Title: Visiting Professor | Department: Economics |
Responsibilities:Teaching: energy economics, introductory and intermediate/advanced microeconomic theory, economic history; advising senior theses. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1995 to 1996 | Employer: R.W. Beck | Title: Executive Economist | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Operation of the Portland office; business development; project leader and participant; clients in wholesale and retail electricity sector. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1986 to 1995 | Employer: Public Power Council | Title: Senior Economist | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Advice to membership of non-profit trade association on all aspects of their relationships with the Bonneville Power Administration: power and transmission rates and contracts; capital management; environmental obligations; federal statutory development. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1982 to 1986 | Employer: Bonneville Power Administration | Title: Economist and Chief, Wholesale Rates | Department: Rates |
Responsibilities:Implementation of Northwest Power Act; testimony before the FERC on rates for power exports; as Chief, supervision of 1985 wholesale rate filing. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 1980 to 1982 | Employer: Reed College | Title: Visiting Assistant Professor | Department: Economics |
Responsibilities:Teaching: introductory microeconomics, economic history. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2013 to 2016 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Integrated Resources Planning Administrator | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Responsibilities: in addition to responsibilities of Power Planning Manager (below), overallmanagement of all electricity and fuel supplies; management of leased transmission rights, transmission ownership rights, and fuel transport contracts (tenor of transactions: real-time through long-term); replacement of Energy Trading and Risk Management system; development and implementation of risk management policies, practices, and procedures; revision of cash reserve policy; support for bond Official Statements; management of carbon allowance inventory and divestiture from coal; support for cost-of-service analysis for retail rates; negotiation of agreements for distributed solar generation; design and implementation of feed-in tariff; negotiation of Balancing Area Authority Services Agreement and new transmission service agreement; negotiation of energy storage acquisition; management of thermal energy storage agreement; studies of the economics of distributed energy resources in Glendale; testimony before FERC on LADWP’s Open Access Transmission Tariff; acquisition of replacement power supplies during repowering of local generation; economic analyses associated with repowering of local generation (natural gas and landfill gas); negotiation of 25- year PPA for acquisition of firmed renewable energy; management of state and federal reporting obligations; project manager for 2015 Integrated Resource Plan; litigation support (multiple transmission disputes); supervision of outside consultants; two direct reports; total staff between four and seven. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2011 to 2013 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Power Planning Manager | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Responsibilities: analyses and negotiations supporting long-term acquisition of renewableresources, including acquisition of transmission capacity and ancillary services; analyses and strategies for repowering existing local and remote generation resources; analyses and tactics for compliance with California state carbon (cap/trade) regulations and Renewable Portfolio Standards; (re)negotiation of generation, transmission, and assorted related contracts; preparation of annual and monthly budgets for external and internal generation and transmission projects; evaluation of options for balancing area services; evaluation of energy storage systems and negotiation of related contracts; representation of City on multiple committees related to ownership and operation of existing generation and transmission resources; coordination of energy strategies and tactics with other similarly-situated municipal utilities in southern California; oversight of contractors providing economic, legal, and technical services; analyses in support of billing disputes; regular briefings of senior management. |
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Years | Employer | Title | Department |
Years: 2010 to 2011 | Employer: (Undisclosed) | Title: Senior Energy Economist | Department: (Undisclosed) |
Responsibilities:Responsibilities: evaluation of state and federal policies aimed at promoting innovation anddeployment of renewable energy resources in the U.S.; effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of such policies; evaluation of potential new state and federal policies for further promotion of renewable energy supplies; initiation of supply-chain project, identifying economic impacts of renewable energy development in the Midwest. |
Government Experience
Years | Agency | Role | Description |
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Years: 1982 to 1986 | Agency: Bonneville Power Administration | Role: Economist and Chief, Wholesale Rates | Description: Implementation of Northwest Power Act; testimony before FERC; supervision of 1985 power rate case |
Years: 2009 to 2009 | Agency: US Geological Survey | Role: Independent economist | Description: Review economic analyses for alternative uses of Glen Canyon Dam; develop scope and guidance for future economic studies. |
Career Accomplishments
Associations / Societies |
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American Economics Association |
Awards / Recognition |
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Phi Beta Kappa |
Publications and Patents Summary |
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11 publications in peer-reviewed journals or books; several other working papers |
Additional Experience
Expert Witness Experience |
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FERC, Oregon PUC, Washington UTC, Idaho PUC; Northwest Energy Caucus of House of Representatives; California Assembly Committee; Energy Board of Contract Appeals; Oregon District Courts; Idaho Board of Water Resources; Bonneville Power Administration; Superior Court of Washington; arbitrator appointed by Supreme Court, Niagara County, NY; Hillsboro (OR) county court |
Training / Seminars |
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Northwest Public Power Association (various) |
Marketing Experience |
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In-depth understanding of wholesale electricity markets. |
Language Skills
Language | Proficiency |
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German | Conversational |
Fields of Expertise
energy economics, energy industry behavior, electricity market, electricity market structure, electricity market restructuring, energy market analysis, energy market development, power market development, Western United States wholesale electricity market, electricity price determination methodology, electricity price, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, electric power wheeling, electric power transmission, electric power utility