David E. Dismukes, Ph.D., Consulting Economist
daviddismukes@acadianconsulting.com
David E. Dismukes is an expert in the analysis of economic, statistical, and public policy issues in energy and regulated industries. He has worked in academia, consulting, and public service over the past 37 years.
Dr. Dismukes has participated in over 500 regulatory proceedings in 27 states and has prepared expert witness testimony, reports, and affidavits in over 260 proceedings in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, the District of Columbia and before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”). Dr. Dismukes has also testified before both houses of the U.S. Congress and various state legislatures.
Michael Deupree, SENIOR Research Consultant
michaeldeupree@acadianconsulting.com
Michael Deupree is an expert in the analysis of economic and public policy issues in regulated industries. He has worked in consulting and public service for more than fifteen years, including more than a decade at Acadian Consulting Group (“ACG”).
Mr. Deupree has provided expert analysis and testimony in proceedings involving class cost of service, rate design, alternative regulation, net energy metering of distributed resources, resource planning, and the regulation of ratepayer-financed energy efficiency programs during the course of his career. Mr. Deupree is well versed in most pressing policy issues in utility regulation including alternative regulation, regulatory lag, cost trackers, performance incentives, and mergers and acquisitions. This also includes extensive experience in conducting embedded class cost of service studies and marginal cost of service analysis, as well as emerging utility rate design issues such as residential demand-based rates and large load data center tariff design.
bRANDON lOMBARDINO, SENIOR rESEARCH ASSOCiate
bradonlombardino@acadianconsulting.com
Brandon Lombardino specializes in economic analysis and regulatory strategy, with experience spanning electric and gas utility rate cases, rulemaking proceedings, and policy advisory. He has conducted studies, drafted expert testimony, and prepared presentations on topics including class cost of service, rate design, load forecasting, energy affordability, and cost-benefit analysis.
Brandon’s consulting work includes support for utility M&A transactions as well as the evaluation of offshore wind projects, clean energy programs, and system reliability investments. He has also advised clients on how to prepare for and manage the impacts of large-scale data center expansion, including the presentation of research and preparation of expert witness testimony drafts on the topic.
Before joining ACG, Brandon was a Senior Regulatory Analyst at Evergy, where he supported multiple Missouri and Kansas rate case filings. His responsibilities included designing innovative rates, managing class cost of service studies, conducting customer impact analysis, and supporting special contract negotiations for large load customers.
Brandon holds bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Economics from the University of Kansas and an MBA from Washington State University. He is a member of the Energy Bar Association, the U.S. Association for Energy Economics, and the International Association for Energy Economics.
Nicolas Alvarez, Senior Research Analyst
nicolasalvarez@acadianconsulting.com
Nicolas Alvarez is a skilled research analyst with extensive experience in financial analysis, econometric modeling, and data science. He has contributed with preparation and analysis of economic impact studies, affordability studies, cost-benefit analysis, cost-of-service studies, and rate designs in a range of regulatory proceedings.
Mr. Alvarez is experienced in both quantitative and qualitative research, having worked as a graduate research assistant at Louisiana State University and interned at Kansas State University. Additionally, Mr. Alvarez’s has experience working on regulatory, economic, financial, statistical, and public policy issues related to regulated industries, including electricity, natural gas, solar, water and offshore wind.
Mr. Alvarez specializes in conducting economic impact analysis, using tools such as Excel, Stata, IMPLAN, and QGIS. He has developed economic impact studies for both regulatory proceedings and private-sector clients. Mr. Alvarez contributed to the regulatory approval process for the acquisition of Entergy’s natural gas distribution systems in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, as well as CenterPoint Energy’s systems across Louisiana and Mississippi—an acquisition that created the third-largest investor-owned natural gas distribution business in the southeastern United States.
His recent research focuses on the growing electricity demand from data centers, driven by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies.
Mr. Alvarez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness Management from Zamorano University and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Louisiana State University.
Anna Griffin, senior Research Analyst
annagriffin@acadianconsulting.com
Anna Griffin is a Senior Research Analyst at ACG, where she supports the preparation of expert testimony, regulatory filings, and economic analysis in utility and energy proceedings. Her work includes policy research and the development of workpapers, and exhibits used in litigation and regulatory dockets.
Ms. Griffin previously worked as a Research Assistant at the Louisiana Tech University College of Business and the Center for Economic Research, where she conducted quarterly analysis of regional economic conditions. She has presented research on tariffs, income growth, and inequality at the Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists Convention in 2025. Her academic work emphasizes connecting data-driven analysis with real-world policy and market applications.
As a Graduate Assistant at Louisiana Tech, Ms. Griffin supported courses in Intermediate Microeconomics and Graduate Managerial Economics, contributing to course development, applied problem solving, and student mentorship. She also gained industry experience as an intern with Willis Towers Watson, where she provided data analysis for client-focused projects.
Ms. Griffin earned both her M.B.A. and B.S. in Business Economics from Louisiana Tech University, with a focus on international finance. She expanded her global perspective through study at the IÉSEG School of Management in Lille, France, concentrating on international law and finance. During her time at Louisiana Tech, she revitalized the university’s chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, serving as president.
Arden Koschel, Senior Research Analyst
ardenkos@acadianconsulting.com
Arden Koschel is a Senior Research Analyst at ACG, where she supports expert testimony, regulatory findings, and economic analysis in utility and energy proceedings. Her work focuses on policy research, econometric analysis, and the development of work papers and exhibits for litigation and regulatory dockets.
Ms. Koschel holds a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a concentration in Financial Applications with a minor in Sociology from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
CARLOS SANDOVAL, research aNALYST
carlossandoval@acadianconsulting.com
Carlos Sandoval is a Research Analyst at ACG, where he assists in the preparation of expert testimony, litigation exhibits, and regulatory filings for clients across the energy and utility sectors. His work spans both quantitative and qualitative analysis, with a focus on affordability, reliability, and regulatory design. Mr. Sandoval regularly supports econometric modeling, utility rate benchmarking, capital stock estimation, and forecast error diagnostics, as well as assistance in preparation of hearing materials, policy critiques, and regulatory commentaries.
Mr. Sandoval has assisted in the analysis of a wide range of electric and gas rate cases across multiple jurisdictions, including general rate cases, and alternative regulation fillings. He regularly supports the development of workpapers, and empirical research used to support expert witness testimony and assists in strategic research for litigation support.
Mr. Sandoval joined ACG full-time in early 2025 after previously interning as a Technical Assistant. Prior to that, he assisted in commodity derivatives research as an undergraduate researcher in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Louisiana State University (LSU). He presented original research at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Meeting and, in 2025, returned to LSU as a guest lecturer in Environmental Economics. He has also contributed to peer reviewed paper on commodity market dynamics following a geopolitical shock.
Mr. Sandoval holds a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Econometrics and a minor in Data Analytics from LSU. During his time at LSU, he served as a Global Ambassador, was a member of the university’s national championship Economic Quiz Bowl team, and was inducted into Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international honor society for economics.
EMILY STARSZAK, research aNALYST
emilystarszak@acadianconsulting.com
Emily Starszak is a Research Analyst at ACG, where she contributes to the preparation of expert testimony, reports, and litigation support for clients. Her responsibilities include developing hearing preparation materials, such as hearing books, and preparing and reviewing ACG workpapers.
Before joining ACG in her current role, Emily interned as a Technical Assistant at the company throughout her entire undergraduate studies. In that position, she supported various rate cases, including a research project for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
Emily holds a B.S in Economics with a concentration in Econometrics and a minor in Data Analytics from LSU. Her academic background provided her with strong skills in Econometrics, Mathematical Modeling, Statistics, and Forecasting.
Blake Edwards, Research Analyst
blakeedwards@acadianconsulting.com
Blake Edwards specializes in the analysis of economic, econometric, and accounting issues in regulated utility proceedings. His work includes preparing cost-of-service and cost-of-capital analyses, reviewing financial records, and supporting the development of expert testimony and accompanying exhibits. He regularly contributes to workpapers, empirical research, and strategic analysis used in litigation support.
Blake graduated summa cum laude from Louisiana State University with dual bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Accounting and a concentration in Empirical Economic Analysis. He applied his empirical training to questions of industrial organization and competition policy in his Honors Capstone Thesis, using causal inference techniques to examine monopsony power in Louisiana agriculture.
Before joining ACG, Blake worked at a law firm assisting with regulatory and court filings and later served as an economic research assistant at LSU, where he contributed to policy-focused research.