Email Jamie Heller

Jamie Heller is the founder and president of Hellerworx, Inc.  Hellerworx was developed to provide strategic and economic consulting services to electric generators, coal and energy producers and transportation companies.  Mr. Heller is an expert in coal, energy, environmental and transportation issues. His specialties include coal market analysis, transportation market analysis, electric utility planning, electric power market analysis, analysis of environmental compliance options, utility fuel procurement, energy property valuation, and litigation support.  Mr. Heller has served as an arbitrator, and as an expert witness before various state commissions, federal district and state courts, arbitration panels in the U.S. and overseas, the Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He has made numerous speeches and presentations before various conferences and seminars in the U.S. and abroad.  His comments have appeared in various trade publications.

Consulting Specialties

Strategic planning. Transportation procurement planning.  Transportation management studies. Providing litigation and regulatory support.  Conducting market assessments and forecasts.  Negotiating fuel and transportation agreements.  Estimating fuel production and transportation costs.  Fuel price and transportation rate forecasting.  Evaluating alternative Clean Air Act compliance strategies.  Siting new energy facilities.  Performing reserve acquisition analyses.  Evaluating equipment purchases.  Energy supply planning.

Consulting Specialties

Strategic planning.

Transportation procurement planning.

Transportation management studies.

Providing litigation and regulatory support.

Conducting market assessments and forecasts.

Negotiating fuel and transportation agreements.

Estimating fuel production and transportation costs.

Fuel price and transportation rate forecasting.

Evaluating alternative Clean Air Act compliance strategies.

Siting new energy facilities.

Performing reserve acquisition analyses.

Evaluating equipment purchases.

Energy supply planning.

Books

James N. Heller and Charles A. Mann.  Coal and Profitability:  An Investor’s Guide. McGraw-Hill, 1979.

James N. Heller.  Coal Transportation and Deregulation:  An Impact Analysis of the Staggers Act. Serif Press and the Energy Bureau, 1984.

Education

Harvard Business School — Master of Business Administration, 1972

Northwestern University — Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, 1970

Honors

Member, Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honorary Societies

Projects

We have performed studies and provided information and consulting services for numerous clients in the U.S. and abroad, including electric utilities, energy companies, developers and transportation companies.  We have unique, specialized knowledge of coal market characteristics and coal production capabilities and their relationship to electric power generation and transportation. This information is combined with knowledge of coal qualities and prices, utility and industrial coal purchasing requirements, and coal loading and receiving capabilities.

We have worked for most of power generators in the US and many of the coal producers and transportation companies.  In addition we have worked for various agencies of the federal government.  During the past decade, we have conducted a series of cutting-edge studies for the Electric Power Research Institute on coal, transportation and emission allowance market development.

During the past few years, we have integrated our coal-related capabilities with the capabilities of other companies and produced some very interesting analytical tools and insights.  These include the ability to forecast power prices on a region specific basis using models with detailed inputs on fuel prices, technology improvements, and unit specific generating characteristics.  The models can be adjusted to estimate how changes in environmental policy, fuel prices, load growth, and other parameters affect power flows and generation levels.  In addition, we have developed models that are used to estimate the value of generating units. These models have been used to value plants on behalf of purchasers, financing entities, and in stranded cost evaluations.

The tremendous diversity of the numerous assignments that we have conducted provides us with in-depth knowledge of every aspect of coal mining, transportation, power generation, and environmental mitigation.  This work includes every market in North America, plus experience in Indonesia, Colombia, Canada, Australia,Europe, Japan and elsewhere.  Our work covers policy development, litigation, market analysis and strategy.

Approach to Problem Solving

Our approach to analysis and problem solving tends to be highly analytical and often data intensive.  We frequently draw information and statistics from our own databases of cost or market information, various commercial databases, newsletters, trade publications and client information.   In addition, we have or have access to various cost and market models covering fuels, fuels production costs, transportation costs and rates, generation costs, power market prices, and emission costs and prices.

Combining these information sources and analytical tools to solve client specific problems is the heart of our consulting work.  The problems may be related to market analysis, strategy design or litigation support.  Usually the analysis process also involves having meetings or phone conversations with our contacts to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information that we rely upon, and to account for recent industry developments.  In addition, we maintain close contact with the client to ensure that the product is responsive to the client’s needs and reflective of changes that may occur during the course of the assignment.

The output of work varies and may involve written reports; statistical analyses including associated graphs, maps and charts; PowerPoint presentations; briefings to staff, senior managers or at the Board level; training sessions, or testimony.  We try to select the most efficient means of communicating the information to the client for the purpose intended.