System and Method for Managing Investments in Infrastructure Assets

Abstract

A system comprises a memory operable to store financial data associated with a business entity having a plurality of shares. The business entity may receive, directly or indirectly, income associated with rent or lease of infrastructure assets, the rent or lease paid by a first company to a second company. The system further comprises a processor that is communicatively coupled to the memory and that is operable to determine a value of each share. The processor is further operable to calculate an increase in the value of each share in response to an increase of capital expenditures associated with the infrastructure assets.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A system, comprising:
 a memory operable to store financial data associated with a business entity having a plurality of shares, the business entity receiving, directly or indirectly, income associated with rent or lease of infrastructure assets, the rent or lease paid by a first company to a second company; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable to determine a value of each share, the processor operable to calculate an increase in the value of each share in response to an increase of capital expenditures associated with the infrastructure assets.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is operable to transmit the determined value to a user. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the infrastructure assets are associated with a regulated rate of return and the increase of capital expenditures associated with the infrastructure assets is a guaranteed increase. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the infrastructure assets comprise electric transmission and distribution assets (ETDAs), water delivery assets, gas pipelines, or energy storage facilities. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the capital expenditures associated with the infrastructure assets represent a currency amount that is spent on acquiring, expanding, maintaining, improving, or repairing one or more fixed assets associated with the infrastructure assets. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first company is an operating utility, the second company is a property company, and the capital expenditures are expenditures paid by the property company. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the business entity owns at least a portion of the property company; and   the operating utility owns at least a portion of the property company.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the first company is an operating utility and the second company is a property company that is owned at least in part by a third company that is owned at least in part by the business entity; and   the income is based at least in part on rental payments from the operating utility to the property company such that at least a portion of the rental payments pass from the property company to the third company and from the third company to the business entity.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is further operable to determine an income of the business entity based at least in part on the income and the capital expenditures. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the processor is further operable to calculate distribution of the business entity to shareholders of the business entity based at least in part on a predetermined percentage of the income. 
     
     
         25 . A system, comprising:
 a first server operable to generate financial data associated with a business entity having a plurality of shares, the business entity receiving, directly or indirectly, income associated with rent or lease of infrastructure assets, the rent or lease paid by a first company to a second company; and   a second server operable to receive, via a network, the financial data from the first server, the second server further operable to determine a value of each share and to calculate an increase in the value of each share in response to an increase of capital expenditures associated with the infrastructure assets.   
     
     
         26 - 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A system, comprising:
 a memory operable to store financial data associated with a business entity having a plurality of shares, the business entity receiving, directly or indirectly, income associated with rent or lease of a system of assets, the system of assets including assets that are not land and that are not structures or fixtures attached to land, the rent or lease paid by a first company to a second company; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and operable to determine a value of each share, the processor operable to calculate an increase in the value of each share in response to an increase of capital expenditures associated with the system of assets.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the transmission assets include at least one transmission cable, transformer substation, electricity meter, pipeline, insulator, circuit breaker, relay panel, or shield wire. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the second server is operable to transmit the determined value to a user. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the infrastructure assets are associated with a regulated rate of return and the increase of capital expenditures associated with the infrastructure assets is a guaranteed increase. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the infrastructure assets comprise electric transmission and distribution assets (ETDAs), water delivery assets, gas pipelines, or energy storage facilities. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the capital expenditures associated with the infrastructure assets represent a currency amount that is spent on acquiring, expanding, maintaining, improving, or repairing one or more fixed assets associated with the infrastructure assets. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the first company is an operating utility, the second company is a property company, and the capital expenditures are expenditures paid by the property company. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 45 , wherein:
 the business entity owns at least a portion of the property company; and   the operating utility owns at least a portion of the property company.   
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the first company is an operating utility and the second company is a property company that is owned at least in part by a third company that is owned at least in part by the business entity; and   the income is based at least in part on rental payments from the operating utility to the property company such that at least a portion of the rental payments pass from the property company to the third company and from the third company to the business entity.   
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the second server is further operable to determine an income of the business entity based at least in part on the income and the capital expenditures. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the second server is further operable to calculate distribution of the business entity to shareholders of the business entity based at least in part on a predetermined percentage of the income. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the system of assets comprises at least one of transmission assets and energy storage assets. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the transmission assets comprise electric transmission and distribution assets (ETDAs), water delivery assets, or gas pipelines. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 50 , wherein the energy storage assets comprise energy storage facilities. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the processor is operable to transmit the determined value to a user. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the system of assets is associated with a regulated rate of return and the increase of capital expenditures associated with the system of assets is a guaranteed increase. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the capital expenditures associated with the system of assets represent a currency amount that is spent on acquiring, expanding, maintaining, improving, or repairing one or more fixed assets associated with the system of assets. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the first company is an operating utility, the second company is a property company, and the capital expenditures are expenditures paid by the property company. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein:
 the business entity owns at least a portion of the property company; and   the operating utility owns at least a portion of the property company.   
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein:
 the first company is an operating utility and the second company is a property company that is owned at least in part by a third company that is owned at least in part by the business entity; and   the income is based at least in part on rental payments from the operating utility to the property company such that at least a portion of the rental payments pass from the property company to the third company and from the third company to the business entity.   
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the processor is further operable to determine an income of the business entity based at least in part on the income and the capital expenditures. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 58 , wherein the processor is further operable to calculate distribution of the business entity to shareholders of the business entity based at least in part on a predetermined percentage of the income.