Tally Group Expands Global Footprint with Acquisition of Skipping Stone


Melbourne, AU, March 4, 2026.  Tally Group announced today the acquisition of Skipping Stone, a global energy strategy and implementation consulting firm.

Skipping Stone will continue operations under its own brand as a wholly owned subsidiary. The companies will combine their strengths to expand the Group’s global go‑to‑market reach and strategic energy market solutions.

“The acquisition of Skipping Stone is a decisive step in Tally’s next phase of global growth,” said Tally Group CEO, Andrew Duncan.

“It strengthens our end-to-end capability immediately – combining Skipping Stone’s frontline market insight and advisory expertise with Tally’s market-leading platform so we can help clients move faster from strategy to execution.

Importantly, it dramatically uplifts our presence in key global markets including the US and Japan. Japan in particular is a key growth market for us due to its scale – 10 times the Australian market – and accelerating pace of de-regulation.

Tally went live in Japan last year with a Tier 1 retailer, delivering the market’s first cloud-native, AI-enabled billing platform, and Peter and the team will help us capitalise on this early-mover position.

This acquisition sharpens our competitive edge and accelerates our ability to scale globally as a leading provider of technology solutions to the utility sector. We are confident and bullish about the future growth opportunities this creates.”

Peter Weigand, Skipping Stone Founder and CEO:

“Global energy markets are shifting rapidly, with providers needing to offer far more than traditional commodity services.”

“Through our work with clients, it became clear that legacy back‑office systems could not support this complexity at scale. After reviewing energy platforms globally, Tally Group stood out for the strength and flexibility of its technology, which made it an easy decision on whom to team up with.”

About Tally Group

Tally Group is a cloud-native SaaS provider with extensive experience and over 55 clients worldwide.

Tally Group offers a comprehensive suite of innovative billing, digital and analytics solutions to the energy industry, designed to meet globally diverse market and regulatory requirements, empower customers and reduce cost-to-serve.

About Skipping Stone

Skipping Stone is an award-winning global energy markets strategy consulting and implementation services firm. Founded and led by energy industry CEOs, Skipping Stone is known for its in-depth knowledge of the many facets of the energy industry. Our specialty is helping clients globally seize market opportunities or solve complex problems.

Skipping Stone Media Contact: Nancy Young,  nyoung@skippingstone.com

Tally Group Media Contact: Atsuyo Miller,  Atsuyo.Miller@tally-group.com

METI Proposal Survey Results

METI Mid-to-Long Term Market & Retail Supply Obligations Initiatives Survey Results Released

Tokyo, Japan, January 20, 2026                                                      For Immediate Release

Skipping Stone released today the results of the energy industry survey on both METI initiatives.  A

wide variety of market participants participated including Utility and Non Utility Retailers, Trading Firms, Generators, Finance Related Companies, and Consultants, Researchers, and Advisors.  Over 35% of the respondents identified as an executive.

Regarding the proposed retail supply obligation whereby retailers will be required to secure 70% of demand for the following year and 50% for the following two years, opinions were widely negative with 55% of everyone not in favor and a not surprising 70% of non utility retailers not in favor.  There were a variety of viewpoints on the impact this will have on retailers, most of them indicating major disruptions versus the current market rules.  To view all the results please visit www.skipping….. to download your free copy of the results report.

Opinions on the proposed Mid to Long Term Market were more mixed, yet over half were not in favor of the scheme.  If this were to go forward a whopping 84% believe futures market positions should count toward the obligations.  Two key challenges were identified with 61% indicating this will require retailer business model changes and 47% concerned that many retailers will lack the credit required to comply.

On the question asking if these changes will result in retailers exiting the market, an overwhelming 88% indicated it will.  Guesses on how many will exit ranged from 10 to 20% to over 50%.  24% of respondents expect more than 50% of retailers will exit.

Unlike our past surveys of the energy market participants, this one generated a large number of comments besides answering each survey question.  We have included all the comments in the survey report, which you can download here.

To discuss this report or explore strategies in anticipation of these new rules, please contact either:  Hiroshi Okuyama at HOkuyama@skippingstone.com or Peter Weigand at PeterW@skippingstone.com

Skipping Stone & Full Stack Energy Partnership Brings Innovation to US Energy Market

Two Leading Firms Join Forces to Bring AI, Market Expertise, and Data Driven Decision Support to Fragmented US Energy Landscape

Houston, Texas – October 16, 2025 – Skipping Stone, a global energy markets consulting and implementation services firm, and Full Stack Energy, specializing in design and delivery of client-owned energy software and hardware IP to power energy transition and long-term enterprise value, announce a new partnership in the United States.

U.S. Energy market participants face unprecedented uncertainty around policy, renewables integration, and explosive demand. Many companies are rushing to try to fill needs with standardized solutions that lack flexibility and the functions required to meet specific challenges.

Full Stack Energy specializes in taking on projects that turn the client’s ideas for complex solutions into definable technology requirements and specs. They then develop rapid prototypes that meet the client’s unique needs including ownership of the full project IP. Full Stack Energy’s deep solutions engineering and energy-only focus, aligns with Skipping Stone’s 30-year history of providing knowledge transfer, strategy, and implementation services to clients in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

This new partnership focuses on bringing solution design and functionality to the full value chain from generation to behind-the-meter services, from risk management to delivery/planning from utilities/REPs, and to end users searching for answers but not finding what they need. These solutions are flexible, scalable, and client specific with the client then owning the IP.

“Both Full Stack Energy and Skipping Stone have long histories of delivering value to clients using a non-traditional consulting and solution design approach that focuses on bringing small teams of experienced resources to focus on specific challenges for the benefit of the client,” said Eric Alam, Principal, Skipping Stone.

Liam Relihan, Full Stack Energy CEO and Founder says, “For more than 20 years, Full Stack Energy has worked across every layer of the energy landscape, helping clients navigate complexity, co-create solutions, and deliver real impact in the market. We’ve learned that real progress happens when you dive deep with clients to solve tough challenges and unlock new value. As the pace of change in our industry accelerates, this partnership with Skipping Stone is an exciting step forward – expanding our U.S. presence and amplifying our ability to help clients thrive in a rapidly evolving energy market.”

Innovative, data-driven problem solving and rapid solution deployment are central to addressing energy clients market transition challenges. Delivering flexible, scalable answers that help clients meet their objectives across the value chain is the focus of this partnership.

About Full Stack Energy

Full Stack Energy is a leading engineering firm specializing in the global energy sector. With over 20 years of hands-on experience, the company designs and delivers proprietary technology that drives performance, unlocks new revenue, and powers the clean energy transition. Combining deep energy expertise with full-stack engineering across hardware, software, data, and systems, Full Stack Energy helps organizations turn bold ideas into ownable solutions that create lasting enterprise value. Headquartered in Ireland, the company serves clients across North America, Europe, and beyond. For more information, visit www.fullstackenergy.com

Media Contact: Grainne McDonogh, grainne.mcdonogh@resourcekraft.com

Eric Alam Rejoins Skipping Stone

Houston – September 23, 2025 – Skipping Stone, a global energy markets strategy consulting and implementation services firm, announces that Eric Alam has rejoined the firm he helped build years ago.
Since his first stint at Skipping Stone Eric has held executive positions with World Energy (a green exchange) and Viridity (Demand Response), as well as serving as CEO of RPD Energy, taking the renewable energy company from start-up to a successful sale earlier this year.
With his return as a leader at Skipping Stone, Eric will focus on growing the firm in the data center arena and microgrids, and he will take over the firm’s U.S. market entry practice.
“I am thrilled Eric is returning,” said Peter Weigand, Skipping Stone Chairman & CEO. “Eric and I were in sync during our previous fast growth phase and have resynced in a matter of hours. We had a lot of fun and helped quite a few clients transition to a deregulated market back in the day. With the energy markets undergoing massive transitions, it will be fun to tackle projects once again with Eric,” continued Weigand.
“I look forward to applying Skipping Stone’s time-tested business model, which focuses on helping clients meet and break through challenges they face by deploying small teams of true experts to the energy markets chaotic and rapidly changing environment,” stated Eric. He went on, “Participants in the key sectors of data centers, commercial and industrial energy management, energy technology/service providers, and generator/developer entities face unprecedented opportunities, yet the landscape has risks and pitfalls to avoid. Bridging strategy, execution, and data driven decision making is more crucial than ever before. Skipping Stone has the right model, the right expertise, and the right objectives to support client success at this critical time.”
Eric will head the company’s Houston office and have responsibilities for business development and project delivery across North America.

Retail 3.0 Whitepaper

The Evolution of Japan’s Liberalized Electricity Market

Tokyo, Japan, March 20, 2025. Skipping Stone has announced the publication of a complimentary white paper, Retail 3.0, written by Chairman & CEO Peter Weigand. The paper discusses the evolution of Japan’s electricity markets since the original liberalization in the period from 2000 through 2024. The paper goes on to lay out what has changed, new opportunities, operational and system needs, success criteria and more as the retail market heads into 2025 and beyond (Retail 3.0).

The transition to Retail 3.0 has already occurred in other liberalized global markets. The Japan market is following a similar path as it matures. Leveraging lessons learned from other global markets, the paper identifies and describes what can be expected in Japan’s market evolution.

“Having been involved in Japan’s electricity market since 2014, it’s been an interesting journey that can be benchmarked against the evolution of other global liberalized markets. While Japan’s market is unique, the transition from one phase to another has enough similarities to warrant studying what is changing and how those changes impacted other markets and participants, as well as anticipating how this will impact Japan’s market and market participants,” said Weigand. “As proven in other markets, companies that can transition from Retail 2.0 to 3.0 early in the cycle will be the winners in a 3.0 marketplace.”

Click here to download the Retail 3.0 whitepaper at no charge.

In addition, Peter Weigand will be working out of the Tokyo office from April 7th through April 18th should you have interest in meeting to discuss the Retail 3.0 paper. Please contact yhoraguchi@skippingstone.com to schedule an appointment.

New White Paper Challenges Retail Energy’s Customer Tug-of-War Methodology

Los Angeles – March 4, 2025 – Skipping Stone’s latest white paper, “Acquiring Books of Customers vs. Improving Customer Retention,” addresses the Retail Energy Providers’ (REP) costly cycle of customer churn, i.e., losing customers, buying them back, and repeating the process.

Skipping Stone CEO Peter Weigand — a former U.S. energy retailer CEO and global energy markets leader — discusses the hidden costs of the industry’s reliance on customer book acquisitions and win-back programs. He highlights how retention strategies powered by AI can alter this cycle and drive stronger financial results.

“The lose customers, buy them back cycle may be great for entrepreneurs flipping small retailers, but it’s a drain on the bottom line for large REP book buyers,” says Weigand. “While this paper won’t break the cycle overnight, it introduces a smarter way to minimize churn, thus reducing the need to replace lost customers via acquiring books.”

Skipping Stone’s paper reveals that unlike traditional win-back and costly retention programs, this new AI-driven approach focuses on prevention, not reaction… how AI and behavioral science can proactively identify and engage at-risk customers to prevent them from leaving — a game-changer for REPs looking to stabilize customer count and maximize profitability.

The white paper is available for free download at SkippingStone.com

Skipping Stone Releases Win-Win Solution White Paper to Finally Solve Gas & Electric Market Synchronization

Boston – May 22, 2024 – Skipping Stone President, Greg Lander, and CEO, Peter Weigand have collaborated to develop a comprehensive set of solutions to finally solve the elusive gas and electric market synchronization issues. This paper is a follow-on to the original paper published in 2013 that resulted in several operational changes to address key issues, however, didn’t result in fully solving the synchronization issues.

Now that the markets have adopted past rules modifications, which helped both markets, the authors are putting forth in the paper a series of additional structural market modifications that address the full solution set. A sampling of new solutions include:

  • Hourly Pipeline Park & Loan Services
  • Load Factor-Based Rates
  • Firm Shipper Revenue Sharing
  • New Pipeline Expansion Model
  • New Pipeline Revenue Stream
  • ISO Operational Coordination

Both an explanation of the synchronization issues and the authors’ proposed solutions are contained in the full white paper. The white paper is free and available for download on either SkippingStone.com or CapacityCenter.com

“Several years ago, pipeline rules were modified to address synchronization issues. Those rules helped but didn’t solve 100% of the problem. Since then, the electric grid has and will continue to shift to more renewables. This shift puts more pressure on gas-fired generation to deliver on call, which in turn relies on pipelines to deliver in a manner that isn’t operationally and by rule how pipelines are supposed to work. Essentially pipelines are expected to provide a free ramp-up, ramp-down service to generators, which is not fair to pipelines and their firm shippers. At the same time, since it is free, generators are at risk of ISO penalties and potential blackouts because there isn’t a market structure to address the need for hourly gas service for generators,” says Greg Lander, Skipping Stone President.

Peter Weigand, Skipping Stone CEO, continues, “Our goal with this white paper is to lay out a proposed solution set that various stakeholders can engage with Greg in a healthy collaboration that hopefully leads to new market rules that address the key issues.

 

Global Media Contact:

Nancy Young
Skipping Stone, LLC
NYoung@skippingstone.com
(832) 279-3029

Skipping Stone Wins International Energy Consultancy of the Year 2023 Award

AI award

Los Angeles – January 25, 2024 – Skipping Stone has been named International Energy Consultancy of the Year 2023 by Acquisition International publications. According to AI, Skipping Stone was awarded for “exceling at collaborating with clients to curate new ideas, tactics, and strategies, and once a strategy is clearly defined, the team provides a host of stellar services to turn the strategy into demonstrable success.”

In 2020 and 2021, AI awarded Skipping Stone USA energy consultancy of the year. This is the first international award for the company.

“We made a strategic shift to grow our international business a few years ago,” said Peter Weigand, Skipping Stone Chairman and CEO. “Our focus on providing quality service to our clients has been recognized with several awards in the U.S. It’s a tribute to our international teams’ hard work to be honored by AI,” continued Weigand.

Global Media Contact:
Nancy Young
Skipping Stone, LLC
NYoung@skippingstone.com

Japan Media Contact:
Risa Nakayama
Skipping Stone, GK
RNakakayama@skippingstone.com

Skipping Stone Releases 2024 Energy Transformation Trends Global Market Survey Results

Los Angeles – February 1, 2024 – Skipping Stone surveyed energy executives across the globe to get their views on a variety of energy transformation topics to gauge trends for 2024 and beyond. Survey results compare views from the U.S., Japan, and other global leaders.

On many topics, energy leaders’ views diverge significantly from government goals or mandates. A few examples include:

  • Japan has set a 2050 carbon neutral mandate as have many U.S. states and over 140 countries.
    • 75% of U.S. energy executives and 69% of Japanese and other global survey participants view this target as unlikely or very unlikely to be achieved.
  • Regulations driving the adoption of EVs are widespread globally with many countries mandating the elimination of sales of petrol vehicles by 2035 or thereabouts.
    • About a third of energy executives believe that by 2050 EVs will comprise between 50 and 70% of all vehicles, with very few that think they will exceed 70%.
  • Globally there is massive pressure to eliminate coal plants as a key driver to reach carbon reduction goals.
    • 38% of both Japanese and other global survey participants believe there will always be coal plants, as do 24% of U.S. participants.

“It was eye-opening to study the results on topics like the examples above as well as hydrogen, micro nuclear, Russian LNG, carbon capture, AI, and others. With all the government mandates, subsidies, investments, press, hype, and global events like COP24, one would expect a more optimistic viewpoint from the energy community than the results show,” said Skipping Stone Chairman and CEO Peter Weigand.

“With the Japanese government supporting and pushing hard in most of the areas we surveyed, it was interesting to see that in many cases the Japanese energy community doesn’t believe the goals will be met,” said Hiroshi Okuyama, President of Skipping Stone Japan.

For more information and a complimentary copy of the survey results, please email a media contact listed below.

Nancy Young, Global Marketing

nyoung@skippingstone.com

TESLA Asia Pacific Opens Tokyo Office and Partners with Skipping Stone

Announces New Client Promotion

Tokyo, Japan April 5, 2023. TESLA Asia Pacific is delighted to announce its new office in Tokyo as well as a partnership with Skipping Stone. TESLA specializes in delivering power and gas demand forecasting and has been providing accurate forecasts to over 200 utility companies in Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and the Americas for over three decades.

TESLA has been providing Japanese retailers, power traders and transmission system operators with reliable power demand forecasts since 2017. Clients utilize the TESLA solutions to help with supply and demand balancing, reduce retail imbalance charges and form a view on the market.

The weather-sensitive TESLA model is updated each hour as new weather and demand data become available. The 14-day forecast horizon with medium- to long-term percentile extension covers physical and financial power trading requirements. Among other things, the TESLA model considers weather, holidays/festivals, seasonality and trends such as policy-induced demand destruction.

“Our Japanese offering and client base has grown tremendously since we first entered the Japan market in 2017 after our high score in TEPCO’s Load Forecasting Technology Contest. We are excited to take it to the next level with a new office in Tokyo and dedicated staff to continue providing our clients with the gold standard TESLA service,” said Tony Baker, Managing Director of TESLA Asia Pacific.

Tetsuya Totsuka, Japan Business Development Manager of TESLA Asia Pacific added, “It’s great to see the TESLA Japan service evolve from a single forecast for Tokyo based off a single weather station to coverage across all nine regions with 50 weather stations from multiple weather vendors. Additionally, Solar and Wind generation forecasts were included for all subscribers in March 2023.”

“We are excited to partner with TESLA to provide business development support and more importantly work with TESLA and their Japanese clients to develop and implement new customized solutions,” said Hiroshi Okuyama, President of Skipping Stone, GK.

New Client Promotion
For a limited time, TESLA is offering new clients free system use on two different products in a risk-free method to learn why other TESLA Japan clients have come to rely on TESLA solutions.

  • 3 Months Free Custom Power Demand Forecast Trial for Retailers
  • 2 Months Free System Demand Forecast for Capacity Market Participants

For details, please contact Tetsuya Totsuka, 03-6403-1506, ttotsuka@teslaforecast.com

About TESLA
TESLA is a global leader in forecasting solutions. The company has achieved the highest degree of accuracy. TESLA solutions are customizable and flexible to enable tailoring to each client’s unique requirements. The company has a variety of product offerings and recently rolled out new models to forecast solar and wind to support the FIP scheme. The firm has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Romania, and Japan. For more information, visit www.teslaforecast.com.

About Skipping Stone
Skipping Stone is an energy consulting and technology services firm that assists a wide variety of market participants to navigate market changes, capitalize on opportunities and manage business risks. Skipping Stone has delivered measurable bottom-line results for over 270 clients globally. Headquartered in Boston, the firm has offices in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Singapore, and London. For more information, visit www.SkippingStone.com or www.SkippingStone.co.jp.

Media Contacts
Tetsuya Totsuka
03-6403-1506
ttotsuka@teslaforecast.com

Risa Nakayama
03-6435-6600
Japan_info@skippingstone.com