Benjamin Schlesinger, Ph.D., President

John A. Neri, Ph.D., Principal

Gary A. Grasso, Principal

Ajit S. Ratra, Project Manager

BENJAMIN SCHLESINGER, Ph.D., President

Dr. Schlesinger, founding president of BSA, LLC, is one of North America’s leading independent energy consultants, specializing in gas and electricity marketing, pricing, infrastructure, trading practices, strategic planning, and power plant development worldwide.  He has nearly four decades of experience in managing and carrying out engineering/economic analyses of complex energy issues, with particular focus on North American energy commodity movements and pricing, policies and programs.  Dr. Schlesinger has advised over 400 clients in the U.S., Canada, and 25 other countries, including the top utility, energy trading and producing, manufacturing, regulatory, educational, private power, and financial services companies.  A former vice-president of the American Gas Association, Dr. Schlesinger has testified before the U.S. Congress and in 16 states and provinces on the direction of the gas industry, gas contracting, purchase and sales prices, royalty valuations, market value, hedging and risk management, and related industry practices.  (View Resume)  BSchles@BSAenergy.com

JOHN A. NERI, Ph.D., Principal

A Principal with BSA, Dr. Neri has more than 30 years of diversified analytic experience in the energy industries, both as a consultant and as a staff economist with the Department of Energy/Federal Energy Administration.  Since 1978, Dr. Neri has advised a variety of private and public clients on a full range of economic and strategic issues concerning the natural gas, oil pipeline and electric power industries.  His work has focused on market power and market analysis, sales and price forecasts, demand price elasticity, cost of capital, cost allocation/rate design, gas purchasing strategies and industry structure and regulation.  Dr. Neri has testified before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on market power and market power mitigation, cost allocation/rate design, cost of capital and other matters. He has similarly testified before state and provincial public utility commissions in Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania and Alberta.  (View Resume)  JNeri@BSAenergy.com

GARY A. GRASSO, Principal

A Principal with BSA, Mr. Grasso has over 30 years of experience in providing expert testimony, technical and policy assistance to the various segments of the energy industry on project evaluation, cost of service, rate and regulatory matters.  Mr. Grasso leads the firm’s practice in providing consulting expertise in oil pipeline rate and regulatory proceedings, and supports BSA’s analytic efforts in all other practice areas.  His major areas of expertise focus on the oil, natural gas and electric power industries.  Mr. Grasso has a strong quantitative and analytical background and has focused on cost of service issues, market power analysis, depreciation studies and due diligence projects, among other areas.  He also has provided testimony and extensive litigation support for clients before State and Federal regulatory commissions and courts.  (View Resume)  GGrasso@BSAenergy.com

AJIT S. RATRA, Project Manager

A Project Manager with BSA, Mr. Ratra heads the firm’s practice in providing technical support and management consulting to energy firms and industries concerning natural gas and electric distribution companies.  His clients have included utilities, manufacturers, trading and marketing companies, energy producers, electric cooperatives and related governmental and trade organizations.  His 31 years of gas utility experience includes strategic planning, business development, gas supply, distribution planning, customer service, regulatory affairs and research and development.  Mr. Ratra spent much of his career with Washington Gas Light Co. where he served as director, corporate planning from 1978 to 1992 and assistant to the chairman from 1986 to 1989. Mr. Ratra has a proven track record as a practical, results-oriented, executive with experience in managing of change and delivery of regulatory testimony. Mr. Ratra received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from George Washington University. Mr. Ratra also completed the Public Utility Executive Program at the University of Michigan in 1993. (View Resume)  ARatra@BSAenergy.com