About
Nuttall Consulting

who we are and how we operate

 
 

Who we are

 
 

Nuttall Consulting, offering the services of Dr Brian Nuttall

We are a boutique consultancy, based in Melbourne, Australia, that has been advising a range of clients for over 10 years.  Our owner and principle is Dr Brian Nuttall.  Brian is an electrical engineer who has over 25 years’ experience in the electricity industry.  Brian began consulting in the mid-1990s, and has been advising on strategic matters associated with the planning, management, operation and regulation of electricity power systems for over 15 years.  

drawing together engineering, asset management and regulation

We advise on matters that draw together our knowledge of engineering and asset management with regulatory, market and policy matters associated with the electricity supply industry. Most of our projects focus on the relationship between engineering-technical issues associated with the economic regulation of distribution and transmission network businesses, particular asset management, network expenditure, service quality and reliability.

advising regulators, the regulated, and the rule makers

We have advised a range of industry stakeholders on these matters, including regulators, network owners and operators, and rule makers. Often this advice is provided in a form suitable for publication, and involves communicating with non-specialists on technical matters.

Our core experience is with the electricity industry, but much of our knowledge and experience with economic regulators is applicable to other regulated sectors. For example, we have advised a gas distribution business on matters associated with its proposal to its economic regulator.

 

Our core areas

  • the regulation of distribution and transmission network businesses, including regulatory proposals, submissions and reviews

  • electricity network service quality and reliability standards and performance

  • electricity network expenditure forecasting, risk-based and probabilistic planning methods, and the cost-benefit analysis of projects and programs

  • asset management practices and documentation

  • quantitative analysis and modelling, including intercompany and intracompany benchmarking

Some of our recent clients

  • numerous Australian electricity distribution and transmission network businesses

  • Australian Energy Regulator (AER)

  • Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)

  • Commerce Commission (New Zealand)

  • Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)

  • Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal New South Wales (IPART)

 
 
 

How we operate

 
 

The boutique nature of Nuttall Consulting gives us great flexibility to agree the terms and conditions, including the resources, fee structure, and project plan to suit a clients’ requirements. 

we work to fixed and capped fees or time and expenses

Usually, clients contract us to undertake analysis and deliver a report that addresses their specific requirements. These assignments can normally be costed and provided as a fix fee or capped fee to an agreed approach and schedule. 

But we’re always happy to offer resources on a time and expenses basis, with minimum or maximum input limits if needed.  Such a resource model can be particular useful for clients preparing regulatory proposals, which will require a broad range of tasks that need to be completed prior and subsequent to submission.

we work from our offices or our clients

We usually work from our own offices, but we can be embedded in our client’s offices if needed.  We are also happy to work directly with our client’s staff or their other consultants where needed.  Working from the client’s offices can provide opportunities for valuable skill transfers to client staff, particularly technical staff that may have limited experience of economic regulation or regulatory staff who may have limited engineering-technical knowledge.  

we can subcontract specialist skills to our team or subcontract to other teams

For larger projects, we sometimes subcontract specialist skills.  But these are always discussed and agreed with our client beforehand.  We also subcontract to other parties, usually providing our specialist knowledge and advice via their project teams. 

 

Examples of previous services

  • regulatory-technical subject matter expert - supporting the preparation of various regulatory proposals

  • independent expert analysis of expenditure forecasts - providing independent expert opinion to produce supporting documents for regulatory proposals

  • expert advisor to a service standard non-compliance review - to the Commerce Commission (New Zealand)

  • technical expert advisor - to the AER on a number of its electricity network service provider revenue decisions

  • bushfire risk and mitigation program cost-benefit model design, development and documentation - prepared for an electricity distribution business