Commissions, utility executives, and interested stakeholders sometimes have difficulty in obtaining answers to questions that would assist them in fully understanding the underlying information, analyses, assumptions, and management and/or operating practices that are affecting utility costs. In order to create and sustain a competitive environment, businesses and regulators should have effective management controls in place to ensure that resources are being used to maximize the value to customers.

In today's resource-constrained environment, determining the effectiveness and efficiency of a utility's operations, especially in relation to compliance directives, may require the use of independent auditors. Blue Ridge presents the level of expertise and corporate savvy our clients need to conduct specific, short-term studies. Blue Ridge provides our clients with a full range of management and operational audits. These audits can be as rigorous and comprehensive as our clients require.

Our expertise covers most management and operational aspects of our clients' businesses, including the following:

• Rate case filing review
• Affiliate transactions
• Process review
• Planning, implementation, and monitoring of projects
• Policy and procedure effectiveness and compliance
• Capital and budget process
• Power and natural gas hedging and energy trading
• Energy and fuel procurement
• Power supply or purchased gas adjustments
• Operations and maintenance
• Purchasing and contracting
• Internal controls
• Risk management
• Ethics