Additional Benefits. Working with other professionals in accounting, finance, economics, engineering, and law and being part of an efficient, professional, and great team environment. Ability to accrue 22.75 days of vacation and 13 sick days the first year of employment. Ability to work remotely up to 3 days per week.
Preferred Education:
4 Year Degree
Additional Information:
Hybrid/Remote is allowed.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) is seeking a qualified candidate for the position of Utility Technical Consultant with risk assessment capabilities. This position is located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Purpose You will actively support the PSC and the decisions of the PSC’s commissioners involving mitigation of utility risks including physical, cyber, and financial risks, as well as associated risk of damage to public and private property, and injuries to persons. The PSC seeks demonstrated expertise or a strong desire to develop expertise in assessing and determining levels and mitigation of one or more of the following risks: wildland fire, cybersecurity, nuclear energy and natural gas related to utility equipment and infrastructure, and their impact on utility rates. Ideally, the candidate would have experience in the insurance industry, but insurance experience is not essential. In addition, you may be assigned to actively support the PSC’s decisions to ensure just and reasonable rates by reviewing and analyzing utility filings and providing technical analysis of the supporting accounting, financial, and other data filed by regulated public electricity, gas, telecommunications, water, and wastewater companies. When filings are submitted, you will provide summaries of testimony, annual reports, comments; and provide opinions, as requested, and other materials, as needed, to assist in the decision-making as the dockets are processed and submitted for decision-making. You will test utility models against the PSC’s models to ensure accuracy of the materials filed. You will respond to any questions related to the filings and perform research when issues arise and as needed.
Principal Duties
Review, assess and evaluate reports, filings, and requests containing wildland fire mitigation, cybersecurity, nuclear, gas (and any related insurance coverages), and other related utility reports involving mitigation of utility risks. Specific tasks may include the following:
Develop understanding and expertise regarding industry standards and best practices to assess and mitigate electric and gas utilities' risk of liability for personal injury and property damage related to: a) wildland fires, b) cybersecurity breaches, c) nuclear malfunctions, d) natural gas leaks and explosions, and e) other extraordinary risk exposures which may arise.
Evaluate utility equipment and operating procedures implemented to mitigate liability risk exposures.
Evaluate utility insurance programs intended to cover risk exposures.
Identify and develop proposals for achieving reasonable levels of risk mitigation.
Assess the relative costs and benefits of various risk mitigation strategies and techniques.
Become knowledgeable of all legislative enactments related to utility risk issues and advise the PSC about legislative issues, reports and presentations which may be required.
In addition to the foregoing functions, you will also be expected to perform other duties as assigned, which may include:
Examine regulated company reports, records and books; analyze, evaluate and interpret accounting, statistical and financial information, and determine compliance with PSC orders and rules.
Monitor financial and administrative activities of regulated companies, analyze monthly and quarterly reports, track whether the authorized rate of return is exceeded, recovery of fuel costs is within allowable limits, identify variances from previous submissions, and determine reasons for observed deviations.
Plan, conduct and coordinate audits.
Prepare summaries of party positions, provided in testimony or at public hearings.
Verify mathematical and accounting accuracy of company reports and that the rate of return is within approved limits; perform statistical analysis, calculate percentages and standard costs.
Write memos and reports and perform assigned special projects, such as literature searches for precedents or customized analysis.
Check that regulated companies file all required reports.
Conduct independent research to analyze, examine, organize, document, and establish regulatory positions pertinent to rate structures, changes in utilities technology, mergers and other related business proposals, delivery of services, authorities, and all other regulatory matters.
Examine, evaluate and prepare engineering-economic cost studies; perform econometrics investigations; gather data and information on cost modeling.
Draft summaries and reports for dockets filed with the PSC.
See the full job posting at: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/utah/jobs/5007688/utility-technical-consultant?department[0]=700%20Public%20Service%20Commission&sort=&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs
Minimum Qualification
A degree in at least one of the following fields and relevant experieince. Bachelor degree at a minmum, graduate level prefered.
Business
Accounting
Finance
Economics
Engineering
Risk Management
Law Degree
Work Experience in risk management, Insurance or other analytic related fields
About Utah Public Service Commission (psc@utah.gov)
The Utah State Legislature, in its Public Utilities Act of 1917, created the Public Utilities Commission of Utah. Governor Simon Bamberger signed the Act on March 8, 1917, and the Commission was officially organized on April 3, 1917. Recently formed utility companies were regulated by the Commission to ensure that the growth of the utility industry developed according to sound economic principles. At its inception, the Commission consisted of three Commissioners, a stenographer, a reporter, and a special investigator.
In 1935, the Legislature changed the name of the Public Utilities Commission to the Public Service Commission. Conducting a major reorganization of Utah State Government, the 1941 Legislature created the Department of Business Regulation of Utah, which included a three-member Commission known as the Commission of Business Regulation. The Commission of Business Regulation acquired the duties and responsibilities of the Public Service Commission and acted in its place.
Reorganization Forms the PSC as it is Today — In 1983, the Legislature reorganized utility regulation again, establishing the Public Service Commission as an independent state agency. The new statute ...provided for a Commission technical staff whose function was solely to advise the Commission. The Division of Public Utilities continued to perform the same duties and functions as before, including appearing before the Commission as a party representing the broad public interest. Today, the Division continues to make recommendations to the Commission for rate-making purposes, applications, hearings, and other issues affecting the quality of utility service. The Division also investigates consumer complaints, and monitors utility operations to ensure compliance with the Commission’s rules and orders. The Committee continues to function according to statute. Today, the Public Service Commission of Utah remains an independent agency with statutory duties and legislative, adjudicative, and rulemaking powers. It regulates most electrical, natural gas, telephone, and water utilities.
The Commission is headed by three full-time Commissioners, appointed by the Governor — subject to Senate approval — to six-year staggered terms with one member designated as Chairman. The Commissioners preside as a quasi-judicial body in formal hearings concerning utility regulation matters, such as applications for rate and service changes. A support staff of technical, legal, and clerical employees assists the Commission in analyzing the record in every case that comes before it, making recommendations for Commission decisions, preparing formal orders, and managing the daily operation of the Commission’s office.
The primary responsibility of the Commission is to ensure safe, reliable, adequate, and reasonably priced utility service. It conducts hearings and investigations of utility company operations in order to determine just and reasonable rates for service. The Commission strives to protect efficient, reliable, reasonably-priced utility service for customers, and to maintain financially healthy utility companies. These goals are attained through the regulatory decisions the Commission makes and through rules it adopts.
