The Brattle Group

We are excited to share new work with our colleagues at Berkeley Lab on a question that is becoming increasingly important across the power sector: How should utilities design rates for data centers and other very large new loads? Together, we examine how utilities and regulators are answering that question through large-load tariffs, electric service agreements, and related frameworks. We reviewed 55 large-load tariffs and frameworks across the US to see which approaches are becoming standard–and where utility and regulatory practices are still evolving. The new technical brief, “Electricity Rate Designs for Large Loads: Evolving Practices and Opportunities — 2026 Update,” was authored by Natalie Mims Frick and Peter Cappers of Berkeley Lab, Goksin Kavlak, Long Lam, Ryan Hledik, and Sebastian Rotella of The Brattle Group, and Jadon Grove, formerly of The Brattle Group. Learn more >> https://bit.ly/4gcDGzg #DataCenters #Electricity #RateDesign #Energy #Utilities #PowerSector

In a new article published by Law360, Brattle Principal Farooq Javed and Ohio State University Professor of Finance Isil Erel present a new framework for understanding risk and value in private credit.   The authors examine how lending that appears to be debt can carry equity-like risk when repayment and recovery depend heavily on a borrower’s future enterprise value, and what that means for assessing risk and value as conditions change. Learn more >> https://bit.ly/4hwgjTM  

In a new article published by Westlaw Today (Thomson Reuters Westlaw), Brattle Principal Sujay Dave, Senior Consultant Idan Rubin, and coauthor Julian Jacobson examine the recent approval of national trust bank charters for digital assets and tokenized finance firms.   The article highlights the importance of these charters and the legal and regulatory implications of this new framework. Learn more >> https://bit.ly/3Uv5Ii8 #DigitalAssets #TokenizedFinance #Cryptocurrency 

In a new article, Brattle Principal Hans Weemaes examines the structural and economic factors that shape housing costs and constrain productivity advancements. The article highlights the differences in housing construction and mass manufacturing to explain the lack of productivity-driven reductions in the Australian housing sector. Learn more >> https://bit.ly/45TXpyW

Brattle Principals Peter Davis, Pinar Bagci, Mihael Raveggi, Luke Wainscoat, and Jose Antonio Garcia have been recognized in the Lexology Index: Competition practice report for their expert knowledge and testimony in complex antitrust matters. Learn more >> https://bit.ly/4wQrfjY

A new article, coauthored by Brattle Associate Simon Levin and published in the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (AERE) examines the impact of future gasoline price uncertainty on vehicle demand in the United States. The authors find that greater uncertainty in future gasoline prices increases consumers’ willingness to pay for fuel economy, while reducing near-term vehicle purchases. Learn more >> https://bit.ly/4w7NtNb

Brattle Principal Johannes Pfeifenberger will join his coauthors for the “Transmission Planning with Large Loads” webinar to discuss the findings and recommendations from their recent ESIG (Energy Systems Integration Group) Large Load Task Force report. The report presents a new approach to transmission planning for large loads that addresses immediate needs while maintaining a path for future growth. Learn more >> https://bit.ly/4xsgYub #Grid #Transmission #Utilities

What drove Pennsylvania’s recent electricity price increases? In a new report prepared for the Solar and Storage Industries Institute (SI2), Brattle experts Ryan Hledik, Long Lam, Adam Bigelow, and Christina Zhang examine the key factors behind electricity price trends in the state between 2021 and 2025. Learn more >> https://bit.ly/3RDTUcC #Electricity #EnergyPolicy #PowerMarkets #Pennsylvania

Associate Matthias van den Heuvel, PhD has coauthored a Small Business Economics: An Entrepreneurship Journal article that examines how certification and cash prizes from venture competitions impact startups’ performance. Learn more >> https://bit.ly/4fIe0u4

Brattle Managing Energy Associate Akhilesh Ramakrishnan will join a panel discussion at RE+ Mid-Atlantic 2026 to explore emerging compensation frameworks in the PJM Market, and what they mean for developers, utilities, and customers. Learn more >> https://bit.ly/4xf7m5T #Electricity #Utilities