Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Rate base: The amount of money or value of property that a company, especially a public utility, is allowed to use to earn a specific rate of return. It's like a starting point for how much money the company can make based on the amount they have invested or the value of their property.
Rate base refers to the amount of investment or property value that a company, particularly a public utility, is allowed to earn a specific rate of return on.
For example, let's say a utility company has a rate base of $10 million. The regulatory agency overseeing the company may allow the company to earn a 10% return on that rate base, which would equate to $1 million in earnings for the company.
Another example could be a transportation company that has a rate base of $5 million. The regulatory agency may allow the company to earn a 7% return on that rate base, which would equate to $350,000 in earnings for the company.
These examples illustrate how rate base is used to determine the amount of earnings a company is allowed to make based on their investments or property value.