Crowley Energy Consulting Services
Crowley Energy Consulting represents clients through a number of related services that carry a project through the potentially long drawn litigation process. From the opening rounds of discovery, through thorough investigation and analysis, to written testimony, depositions, and cross examination, Crowley Energy provides the expert analysis needed to see the client’s interests to a successful outcome.
Discovery Preparation & Review
Discovery is the foundation of a solid case. Having the right information and data to evaluate energy transportation costs is critical to defending the client’s interests in court. Crowley Energy can assist in developing appropriate discovery to investigate utility costs, tariff rate design, and other regulatory matters. Similarly, defending a client’s interests in answering discovery can forestall protracted litigation by presenting the client’s interests in a thorough and persuasive light. Crowley Energy stands ready to defend the client in answering discovery with strong and conclusive exposition.
Affidavits
A regulatory filing often begins with a statement of grievance. Laying out the factual foundation of a client’s position in the form of an affidavit provides the attorneys the material around which they will build a case for the redress of grievances. Crowley Energy can assist in analyzing the merits of the client’s position and craft a well written affidavit attesting to the facts and economic harm resulting there from.
Cost of Service Analysis
Complex cost allocation and rate design models can be a two-edged sword. Multifaceted cost models can fine tune the allocation of costs among rate payers, yet they can also disguise excess operating costs, corporate overheads, and many other excessive charges. Crowley Energy has the investigative skills needed to ferret out unjustified costs and unbalanced allocations. Using multi-sectioned, linked spreadsheets, Crowley Energy can ensure that the client’s share of the cost burden is just and reasonable and its rights protected.
Written Testimony
Good writing is essential to a successful presentation. Facts alone cannot win the day; they must be gathered, organized, and interpreted to assist the judge in understanding the client’s case. Crowley Energy has over 30 years experience in the technical writing skills needed to translate complex rate design models and cost allocation formula into cogent winning arguments. From presenting the case in direct testimony to defending and counterpunching through reply and rebuttal testimony, Crowley Energy ensures the client’s interest are fully understood and persuasively presented.
Deposition & Cross Examination
The intellectual jousting inherent in depositions or cross examination can make or break a case. While it is the attorney’s role to argue the merits of the case, it falls to the witness to elucidate any factual and interpretive questions to place the client’s case on the record in the best light possible. Crowley Energy has taken the witness stand on a wide range of issues such as partnership income tax allowance, actuarial plant retirement studies, market manipulation investigations, restraint of trade complaints, and the routine cost of service model.
Settlement Negotiations
While finding common ground carries much less risk than litigation, agreeing to proposals with unknown consequences has its own dangers. Complex rate models may contain hidden adjustments and interrelationships that can undo hard fought negotiation gains. Crowley Energy can assist the settlement process by vetting the impact of counterproposals through the cost of service models to ensure that the client understands the consequences.
Written position papers
When policy is still under development, it may be to a client’s advantage to contribute to the public discourse in a position paper submitted in a rule-making procedure. Crowley Energy can support the client’s interests through written position papers that translate the complex mechanisms of regulatory technical matters into easily comprehensible ideas and proposals.
