Rutgers School of Business–Camden, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Launch Utility Regulation Ratemaking Professional Certificate Program
CAMDEN, N.J. – September 4, 2026: Rutgers School of Business–Camden and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) have launched the Utility Regulation Ratemaking Professional Certificate Program, a workforce development initiative designed to prepare the next generation of professionals for careers in utility regulation, ratemaking, and public service.
The inaugural cohort includes 30 participants from public and private utilities, regulatory agencies, and consulting firms. The group will spend 11 months developing specialized expertise in utility ratemaking, a critical component of ensuring affordable and reliable utility service for consumers and businesses.
Developed collaboratively by Rutgers School of Business–Camden and the NJBPU, the program responds to increasing demand for professionals with expertise in utility finance, regulation, and policy as New Jersey works to balance utility affordability, grid modernization, and clean-energy goals.
“This partnership reflects what we believe education should accomplish at its best: transformational knowledge with meaningful professional impact,” said Monica Adya, dean of Rutgers School of Business–Camden. “By preparing students with specialized expertise in utility ratemaking, we are helping build the talent needed in a field that shapes the affordability, reliability, and delivery of essential services for millions of residents.”
The innovative professional certificate program combines academic coursework with paid fellowships, providing students with hands-on experience in key areas of utility regulation, including rate design, revenue requirements, and regulatory policy.
“This program introduces foundational utility-ratemaking concepts at a pivotal stage in students’ education while building a strong pipeline of future experts in the field,” said Stacy Peterson, deputy executive director of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
Participants will gain both foundational and applied knowledge in areas including rate design, revenue requirements, cost-of-service analysis, rate base, rate of return, regulatory policy, and public utility law. The part-time certificate program is designed for learners with backgrounds in accounting, finance, economics, law, public policy, engineering, and related fields.
"As the tension between customer affordability and utility financial strength increases, it has become more important than ever that well-informed, experienced professionals provide expert testimony and advice during the utility regulatory ratemaking process,” said Pauline Ahern, a financial economist and expert witness in regulatory ratemaking at utility consulting firm ScottMadden, Inc., and an instructor in the program. “Professionals must understand both affordability as a public policy matter and utility finance as a technical topic, each playing different roles in the utility ratemaking process."
The program supports multiple career pathways, including advancement opportunities for current utility employees, entry points for consultants and graduate students, and transitions for professionals from accounting, finance, and other sectors seeking careers in regulated industries and public service. These opportunities span government agencies, investor-owned utilities, consulting firms, and consumer advocacy organizations, where professionals benefit from competitive salaries, long-term stability, and meaningful roles shaping utility policy and service delivery.
According to Richard Michelfelder, a professor of finance at Rutgers School of Business–Camden with decades of experience and expertise in the utility industry, the program addresses a significant workforce need.
“The U.S. public utility industry has a growing shortage of rate and regulatory experts,” Michelfelder said. “This helps meet that need by preparing more professionals to enter the field.”
For the NJBPU, the partnership strengthens the state’s capacity to evaluate increasingly complex utility filings and financial proposals while ensuring rates remain just, reasonable, and transparent. For Rutgers, the initiative demonstrates the role higher education can play in developing skilled professionals who support essential public services and infrastructure.
Additional information about the program, including curriculum details and application requirements, is available at the Rutgers Professional and Executive Education website.
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