Chicago
Energy Associates LLC

Major electric and natural gas utilities are our primary clients. They typically seek our services when they contemplate an operational assessment, a potential change in their strategy, or the need to improve operational effectiveness. Moreover, the client’s management team also envisions the need for, and benefit from, external leadership and support for the initiative to ensure an objective, comprehensive, and/or expedited outcome.

Many of our assignments fall into the following general categories of professional work:

• T&D operational initiatives, with special focus on electric reliability assessment and improvement programs,
• Asset Management assessments, methods, processes, organizational design, and supporting tools and technology,
• Network or Grid Modernization strategy and planning initiatives that include investment, regulatory, and operational dimensions,
• Strategic, regulatory, and operational planning efforts, with special focus on Capital and O&M budgeting initiatives, and 
• Power production strategy, planning, and operational effectiveness.

A growing segment of our professional work is for utility infrastructure investors; these clients include both principal investors and fund-based infrastructure owners. These clients typically have superb financial acumen and resources; what they seek in our services is clear, independent, and deep operationally- and strategically-focused assessments – often on a very rapid pace that is typical of a transaction environment.

We have the ability to satisfy these needs with highly experienced professionals - anywhere the world and on short notice. Consequently, our clients seek our support for such specific activities as:

• Business valuation, with a special focus on the industry, operational, investment, and regulatory drivers of enterprise value and risk,
  

• Due diligence,

• Operational and regulatory strategy and planning, and

• Business transformation and cost reduction initiatives in the context of change-of-control situations, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and privatizations.

Industry suppliers – including contracting firms, equipment manufacturers, IT outsourcers, and other professional services firms (PSF’s) such as law, engineering, and consulting firms - are increasingly seeking our professional support in their businesses. They recognize the value of our experience, active network of industry relationships, and understanding of the industry’s issues, needs, and buying patterns.

While we vigorously guard our professional independence with our primary Energy and Utilities industry clients, where appropriate we will work with suppliers and other PSFs to support their efforts related to:

• Legal and regulatory matters that require expert testimony or support for Energy and Utilities related business issues,

• Marketing, sales, and product / service-offering strategies and plans targeted to the Energy and Utilities sectors that we serve, and

• Major construction or technology outsourcing initiatives – from solicitation through implementation.

The changing regulatory regimes and ownership structures of our original electric and gas utilities clients have led many of them to become diversified energy businesses. Moreover, many diversified energy businesses are making new investments in the markets we serve.  Consequently, these changes have led us to assignments serving unregulated power production (both fossil and renewable), mid- and downstream oil and natural gas companies, and retail marketing and energy services businesses.