Situation

BAI serves as regulatory and procurement advisor to a manufacturing company's energy services group. The energy services group is responsible for approximately 40 facilities across North America ranging in size from <1 MW to over 60 MW. BAI was brought in to assist the energy services group with performing audits, developing annual forecasts for budgeting purposes, negotiating regulated and deregulated supply contracts, and assisting with the evaluation of distributed generation opportunities utilizing both conventional and renewable technologies.

Approach

Given the broad regional distribution of the facilities in question across all of North America, BAI identified a team of consultants to manage the project assignments that would best utilize the regional and technical expertise of each consultant. Each consultant is responsible for managing various aspects of the project work for the assigned facilities. Consultants work individually or in teams as the work requires ensuring that the client is receiving the right information in a timely manner in order to make proactive and informed energy sourcing decisions. With a deep bench and long history of industry experience, BAI is able to provide the company's energy services group with a depth of knowledge and insight that is well beyond what most companies have at their disposal.

Results

Over the last few years, BAI consultants have driven millions of dollars in energy savings resulting from the renegotiation of utility supply contracts, identification of billing errors, timely execution of competitive power supply contracts, identification of on-site generation opportunities and payment term extensions. BAI also has streamlined the procurement process in deregulated markets by establishing a network of suppliers with national enabling agreements ensuring that the company's procurement strategy can be executed in an efficient manner as market conditions and price signals dictate.