Chuck Harder

Background

About Chuck Harder

Chuck has considerable experience in the development and execution of legal, regulatory and legislative strategies for both public utilities and consumers. Legislative Advocacy. Successfully led efforts to pass legislation in Arkansas and Texas that authorized the development of financial assistance and energy efficiency programs for low-income and elderly customers, enhanced the recovery of electric transmission and distribution investment, reduced the volatility of pension expenses for natural gas utilities, and removed impediments to the full recovery of electric utility federal income taxes. Rate Cases and Other Regulatory Proceedings. Lead counsel or key witness in 145 regulatory proceedings in 6 states, including 28 general rate cases. Innovative Mechanisms. Established rate stabilization plans, cost trackers, and other innovative rate mechanisms that make small annual adjustments to rates, to reflect increases in operating costs, without filing expensive and time-consuming rate cases. Worked with regulators to change natural gas distribution rates in such a way as to reduce weather and volumetric sensitivities, making the company’s revenue stream less volatile. Risk Mitigation. Developed gas cost recovery mechanisms that help mitigate fuel price risks by enhancing the company’s ability to more quickly reflect the current estimated cost of gas in customers’ bills. Successfully defended the company in prudency cases relating to capacity acquisition practices and in contracting with affiliated pipelines. Strategic Planning. Developed a regional working group structure that has significantly improved the integration of regulatory and legislative activities with enterprise risk management and strategic planning processes, relationships with regulators, and coordination between different company divisions and departments. Process Improvement. Transformed organizations to become more customer-focused, to empower employees and improve processes, and to improve communication and coordination with internal and external stakeholders. Improved employee engagement and nearly doubled the capacity and output of the Public Protection Division in consumer protection and ratepayer matters, even while working remotely during the height of the COVID pandemic.