A tale of collaboration, innovation, and delivering under pressure 

The Challenge: A $60 Million Problem with a Ticking Clock 

When capacity pricing spikes hit the PJM energy market in June 2025, one of the nation’s top five energy retailers found themselves facing a crisis that could cost them $60 million in lost revenue. The company had contractual provisions allowing them to pass through capacity changes to their customers, and they needed to leverage a sophisticated billing system to make it happen, and they needed it fast. 

 The stakes couldn’t have been higher. This wasn’t just a routine system enhancement; it was a make-or-break project with visibility extending all the way to the company’s international headquarters in Europe. Their billing and IT teams were under intense pressure to deliver a solution that would prevent massive revenue losses while maintaining operational excellence. 

The problem was complex: The retailer needed to implement a highly customized billing calculation that could track customer-specific bill determinants, integrate with existing upstream systems, and accommodate the unique requirements of multiple internal departments—all within an extremely compressed timeline. 

The Solution: Engineering Success Under Pressure 

CES stepped up to meet this challenge head-on, deploying our full software development lifecycle to create a bespoke solution tailored exactly to the client’s needs. 

What Made This Project Unique 

• Rapid Collaboration: Rather than forcing the client to adapt to a one-size-fits-all solution, CES worked closely with teams across the retailer’s organization to understand their specific requirements. We collaborated with billing experts, supply, pricing teams, business leadership, and even third-party vendors to ensure every detail was captured correctly. 

• Technical Excellence: Our development team built a sophisticated billing calculation system that seamlessly integrated with the client’s existing deal capture and data management infrastructure. The solution could automatically track customer-specific attributes and produce accurate charges without requiring manual workarounds. 

• Agile Adaptation: Throughout the development process, requirements evolved as different departments provided input and refined their needs. CES demonstrated exceptional flexibility, adapting our approach in real-time while maintaining project momentum and quality standards. 

The Scope of Collaboration 

This wasn’t a simple software installation—it was a complex orchestration involving multiple teams on both sides: 

• CES Team: Client leads, business analysts, developers, QA specialists, UAT coordinators, and release management teams all worked in synchronized precision to deliver the solution. 

• Client Teams: Billing, digital sales, business leadership, UAT, supply and settlement teams, plus coordination with external print vendors—demonstrating the project’s enterprise-wide impact. 

The Outcome: Mission Accomplished 

CES successfully delivered a fully functional, customized billing solution that enabled the retailer to capture and pass through the capacity pricing changes to their customers, preventing the $60 million revenue loss. 

The project’s success was celebrated not just locally, but internationally, with positive feedback reaching the client’s Global headquarters. The level of satisfaction was so high that the client team wanted to celebrate the successful collaboration—a testament to both the technical achievement and the partnership approach that made it possible. 

What This Means for Energy Retailers 

This case study illustrates several critical capabilities that energy retailers need in today’s dynamic market environment: 

• Speed to Market: When regulatory changes or market conditions create urgent needs, having a technology partner who can deliver sophisticated solutions quickly can mean the difference between profit and loss. 

• Customization Without Compromise: Every retailer has unique contracts, processes, and requirements. Off-the-shelf solutions often fall short when the stakes are high and the requirements are specific. 

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Successfully implementing complex billing solutions requires understanding not just the technology, but the business processes, regulatory requirements, and operational constraints that drive retailer decision-making. 

• Scalable Partnership: The ability to rapidly scale development resources and coordinate across multiple teams ensures that even the most ambitious projects can be completed on schedule. 

Looking Forward 

In an industry where market conditions can change rapidly and regulatory requirements continue to evolve, having a technology partner who can respond quickly and effectively to emerging challenges isn’t just valuable, it’s essential. 

 The success of this PJM capacity pricing project demonstrates CES’s commitment to understanding our clients’ businesses deeply and delivering solutions that don’t just meet technical requirements but solve real business problems under real-world constraints. 

 When your next challenge emerges—whether it’s a regulatory change, market opportunity, or operational need—CES has the expertise, agility, and commitment to help you turn potential problems into competitive advantages. 

About CES: CES provides comprehensive energy solutions that help utilities and retailers navigate complex market challenges while maintaining operational excellence. Our team combines deep industry expertise with technical innovation to deliver solutions that drive business success.