Determinants of Electric Utility Betas

Determinants of Electric Utility Betas. One important aspect of utility regulation is the estimation of cost of equity capital of the firm. Several techniques have been used to estimate the cost of equity, including the discounted cash flow model and the capital asset pricing model (CAPM). CAPM has its foundations in modern portfolio theory and its application has generated a lot of controversy — both from academia and the professional world. Much of the problem in using CAPM in utility rate cases has centered on the issue of estimating the beta coefficient. Myers (1972) points out that problems exist in the following areas: measurement of beta; stability of beta; and incomplete description of risk and return by CAPM. There is evidence to believe that CAPM is still widely used be expert witnesses to explain risk‐return relationships in utility rate cases (Cooley, 1980).