Background
Mr. Drabinski is President of Vantage Consulting, Inc. He has more than 27 years of experience in the utility and energy industry as both a utility company manager and a management consultant. While his functional expertise encompasses almost all areas of operations, regulation, strategy and finance, he has also honed his skills at the leading edge of issues affecting the industry today. This includes global repositioning of the US electric industry, re-regulation through performance based ratemaking, deregulation initiatives, post-reengineering operation, and merger activities. Mr. Drabinski gained an inside understanding of the industry as a utility manager, through the positions of System Training Director, Fossil Generation; Supervisor, Electrical Maintenance; and Operations Project Engineer for Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation during the 1972-82 time-frame.
Mr. Drabinski is also a student of the energy industry. In addition to lecturing at universities and speaking regularly on emerging industry topics, he has authored or contributed to five text books dealing with power plant operations and control systems. He has also developed and taught a comprehensive course on heat rate improvement. During his career he has visited and worked at over 100 power plants and has direct experience in design, construction, and operation of coal, gas, and oil units, as well as a theoretical understanding of all generation design concepts.
Education
MBA, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, (Finance/Management)
BSEE, State University of New York at Buffalo, (Systems Engineering/Power Technology)
Also, attended over forty technical seminars related to utility power plant technology, computer systems, performance improvement, and financial management
Electric Industry Restructuring
Assisted the Arizona Corporation Commission with a range of electric restructuring issues, including reviews of plans that were undergoing legal challenges, reviews of codes of conduct by all utilities in Arizona, input into FERC filings, Arizona Independent System Administrator, Desert Star ISO, AEPCO reorganization, Citizens electric wholesale purchase issues, and other related activities.
Managed evaluation of the Restructuring Plan submitted by Public Service Electric & Gas. Developed stranded cost estimates, nuclear plant mitigation plan, unbundling alternatives and securitization analysis.
As part of the California experiment in performance based ratemaking, Mr. Drabinski assessed the financial, operational, and culture changes which were impacted by a two-year performance-based ratemeaking mechanism for gas procurement and generation and dispatch at SDG&E.
Assessed SDG&E’s base rate PBR mechanism regarding price and corporate performance, reliability, safety, and system reliability.
Evaluated the DSM administrative services provided by California IOUs to ESCOs, providing input to both the CPUC and de-regulation working groups addressing access to utility information and the future of DSM.
Telecommunications
Audited Bell South - Kentucky Price Regulation Plan and proposed and implemented a completely new Price Transition Plan that assisted transition to deregulation and a competitive market.
Audited Contel and GTE of California low cost funds for adequacy of collection and calculations.
Financial Management
Analyzed affiliated transactions policies, procedures and compliance with SEC requirements for Entergy Corporation, Entergy Services Company and its associated regulated and non-regulated subsidiaries.
Audited San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas for 1998 and 1999 fiscal years to determine compliance with California codes of conduct .
Audited Public Service Electric & Gas and all related affiliates to assure compliance with NJBPU codes of conduct.
Examined the financial reporting relationship of regulated utilities and their parent companies as part of comprehensive management audits, with an emphasis on allocation of costs.
Testified numerous times at hearings on capital budget planning, automatic meter reading, office aggregation, and theft of service.
Performed retrospective investigation of the construction program for five nuclear projects, reviewing construction and management practices. Prepared testimony for prudence hearings on construction management and financial performance.
Developed a retrospective cost model for a $4.5 billion dollar nuclear construction project that re-constituted all contract expenditures by systems and project enhancements. Model results were the basis for final settlement.
Operations Assessments
Conducted an analysis of Commonwealth Edison Company distribution system reliability. Specifically addressed eight outages that occurred in August 2000. Provided details on basis for outages and recommendations as to improvements.
Assessed fuel procurement activities at 12 utilities as part of comprehensive and focused management audits or directly for management or the Board of Directors. Developed numerous recommendations for re-engineered methods and testified eight times on findings and recommendations.
Operations review and analysis of a holding company, which was the organizational entity responsible for all regulated generation and non-regulated generation, power marketing, and natural gas transmission activities.
Managed a governmental affairs benchmarking study of selected utilities and subsequent recommendations to improve the function within the company.
Performed an in-depth review of all positions in operating divisions of El Paso Natural Gas Company, and reorganized those operating divisions into profit centers as part of a productivity improvement program.
Managed over 30 comprehensive, diagnostic and focused management audits of electric, gas and water utilities. These projects addressed virtually every area of utility operations.
Provided consulting services in the areas of executive management, power production and staffing, fuel procurement, distribution and transmission operations, and system planning and engineering to a number of utilities.
Performed a series of assignments for PSE&G. These included development of a 30-year environmental plan, generation and environmental strategy, organizational and technology assessments.
Developed a manpower planning model for restructuring responsibilities and staffing levels at El Paso Natural Gas Company. Implemented a workforce management program at gas processing plants, compressor stations, and throughout the gathering system.
Implemented Job Management Program that included seminars, teaching concepts on work breakdown structures, budgeting, performance measurement, and critical path scheduling techniques.
Developed and taught a seminar on heat rate improvement to management, operations, and regulatory representative that addressed performance improvement concepts and opportunities. This one-week seminar was conducted over 30 times during a four year period.
Selected Clients
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Entergy Corporation |
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Contact Information
- Walter P. Drabinski
- Vantage Consulting, Inc.
- 22814 Overseas Hwy.
- Cudjoe Key, FL
- Phone: (305) 744-3440
- Fax: (305) 744-3540
- E-Mail:
wdrabinski@vantageconsulting.com