Electricity
E.ON takes majority stake in Russia’s OGK-4
German utility E.ON has acquired a 69% stake in Russian power plant company OGK-4 for €4 billion. OGK-4 is one of six large-scale power plant operators in Russia being privatised by the state-run holding company RAO UES
Philippe Torrion
As a youngster EDF Trading CEO Philippe Torrion turned down the chance of becoming a professional footballer, but he has nevertheless based his career around being a team player. He talks to Oliver Holtaway
Fortis and Enel sign 10-year wind deal
Fortis has signed a 1.1 million megawatt hour, 10-year financial fixed-price power purchase agreement with Snyder Wind Farm, a subsidiary of Enel North America
Crossed wires
The wholesale UK power market has struggled to attract liquidity from financial players. The Futures and Options Association's initiative to restructure the market is intended to solve these problems, but some established market players say they have…
Wells Fargo to offer electricity price risk management, RECs
US financial services company Wells Fargo is to offer an electricity price hedging facility, enabling middle market companies to manage their power costs.
Clearing the way
The Futures and Options Association has called on UK power market participants to come forward to help develop the market's structure. Chris Cook proposes an enterprise model that aims to overcome the obstacles to co-operation
Stora Enso
The Scandinavian paper maker has found that having its own generation assets can be an effective hedge against rising and volatile power prices
Rethinking US liberalisation
Citing rising electricity prices, critics of liberalisation have recently managed to convince lawmakers in several US states to rethink policies that ban utilities from owning power plants. Elisa Wood investigates the current state of play
Trading begins on Prague Energy Exchange
The Prague Energy Exchange (PXE), a platform for trading electricity in the Czech Republic, launched successfully at 9am CET this morning, with ten participants trading physically delivered futures contracts dated monthly for the remainder of 2007.
Renewed interest
Green certificate trading is growing in Europe, as renewable power generators seek to exploit consumer demand for green energy. But market design could be improved, as Oliver Holtaway reports
Up in the air
Rising wind power prices are encouraging US producers to turn to the short-term and spot electricity markets. Increasingly sophisticated risk management techniques may follow. David Watkins reports
Drought damage down under
The current drought in Australia has driven power prices to recordhighs. Early-June storms brought increased volatility and makinghedging even trickier for all market participation. Joe Marsh reports
Iberdrola and Endesa hold first power auction
Utilities Iberdrola and Endesa have held Spain’s first power auction, awarding a total volume of 1.45 terawatt hours (TWh). This auction represents the fruits of efforts by the two Spanish utilities to develop a competitive Spanish power market and…
FOA launches UK power market initiative
The Futures and Options Association (FOA) has launched an initiative that aims to introduce a new design for wholesale UK power markets.
Ventyx acquires Global Energy Decisions
Ventyx, a service delivery management solution provider, today announced that it has acquired Global Energy Decisions, a provider of integrated software, data and advisory services to the utility industry, from private equity firm Quadrangle Group.
EOn creates EOn Energy Trading; reveals investment strategy
German utility EOn has announced plans to align its trading and power generation businesses “on more European lines,” according to a company statement, “in order to seize earnings and growth opportunities created by the integration of Europe’s energy…
The smart revolution
The smart grid is well on the way to becoming a reality, with some technologies already changing the economics of power supply. However, customers must be offered risk differentiated pricing for the real benefits of the smart grid to be realised, finds…