Danske Commodities chief reflects on altered energy landscape

Regulatory uncertainty, economic malaise and the rise of subsidised renewables have conspired to create a tough business environment for energy trading firms. That has provoked dismay in some quarters. On September 10, the heads of nine major European energy companies – including utility giants such as Paris-based GDF Suez and Essen-based RWE – appeared before a European Parliament hearing to call for wholesale reform of the European Union's energy policy. Among other things, the firms demanded