Patent ID: 8195539

Claim:
A web-based system for open access transmission tariff management for a regulated utility, comprising: a database for storing a plurality of data pertaining to providing transmission service to wholesale customers; a computer processor coupled to the database and cooperative with a plurality of subsystems including: a subsystem for determining a budget transmission billing rate based on at least one of a plurality of forecast loads, revenue credits, and current budget data for the regulated utility stored in the database; a subsystem for estimating revenue from wholesale customers based on the budget transmission billing rate and at least one of bulk transmission, sub-transmission, long term firm, short term firm, non-firm, and network service projections for the regulated utility stored in the database; a subsystem for loading the budget transmission billing rate into a regulatory database and a transmission billing system for use in transmission line reservations and billings for wholesale customers; a subsystem for generating a pool bill invoice monthly as a control document and reconciling the pool bill invoice with estimated revenues from wholesale customers, the pool bill invoice including revenues for point-to-point services, by firm and non-firm transmission services, and network customers; a subsystem for determining an updated transmission billing rate and an updated revenue projection quarterly based on the monthly reconciliations between the pool bill invoice and the estimated revenues for each month in the quarter, and at least one of expected transmission plant investment, cost of debt, expected transmission operation and maintenance expenses, transmission loads and collection of short term and non-firm service charges in the second, third, and fourth quarters; a subsystem for determining an actual transmission billing rate on an annual basis based on at least one of actual loads for bulk and sub-transmission, and revenue credits; and a subsystem for comparing the billed transmission rate with the actual transmission billing rate on an annual basis to prepare a true-up filing for wholesale customers; and a subsystem for generating invoices or refunds for wholesale customers based on the true-up filing.