经济、法律和政策考虑因素在设计公平、基于成本的费率结构中都发挥着重要作用。财务计划、通知流程、费率申请、听证会、批准程序和费率令的实施包括费率设定流程的六个阶段。四个附录提供:通知立法示例；测试年理由；制定费率立法的一个例子；以及典型的债券协议契约。

Economic, legal, and policy considerations all play important roles in the design of an equitable, cost-based rate structure. The financial plan, the notification process, the rate application, the hearing, the approval procedure, and the implementation of the rate order comprise the six stages of the rate-setting process. Four appendices provide: an example of notification legislation; test-year rationale; an example of rate-setting legislation; and typical bond agreement covenants.