Feature
Standardising electricity contracts
Electricity contracts have come and gone, but a new trio of financially settled futures contracts aims to widen the electricity market, reports James Ockenden
Cell mates
Traders love spreadsheets. But complex deals can quickly outgrow a sheet developed on the fly. Since traders won’t abandon their favourite tools, Stuart Cook and Tony Hughes of The Structure Group look at how firms can control their use
Between Kyoto and the caribou
Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change is unlikely to have an effect on the burgeoning Canadian oil and gas sector, as Maria Kielmas discovers
Struggling for integration
Political issues are stalling Mexico’s energy sector reform just as the country is poised to become a major natural gas importer, reports Maria Kielmas
Capturing value from energy supply and trading
Companies that plan to engage in energy trading need to invest in the right personnel, processes and information management tools if they intend to be successful, says David Dunkin, SolArc’s Chief Strategic Executive
Who is left to manage risk?
The exodus of energy trading companies from the market has created a gap in managing risk. David Johnson and Ross Warriner of Protiviti report
The Power Sector Model
David Soronow, Mike Pierce and King Wang, of Financial Engineering Associates, introduce the firm’s Power Sector Model as the next step in derivatives pricing
New Energy Associates, a Siemens Company, presents the future of ETRM
As generation, trading and retailing companies come out from under the dark cloud to prepare for what looks to be a brighter future, one issue has become critical – the need to upgrade outdated ETRM systems with 21st century architecture, portfolio…
Making sense of the new power market
Bank of America’s Rogers Herndon and David Mooney examine expectations in the energy and power markets before and after the collapse of Enron and outline their predictions for the future
Trading natural gas futures with weatherfutures at the CME
Craig Jimenez and Mirant’s Vishu Kulkarni discuss how the burgeoning relationship between the natural gas futures market and the weather futures market is providing opportunities for traders, hedgers and speculators alike
Quality data and solutions for a challenging market
FAME provides today’s uncertain energy market with transparent information and the tools to analyse it
A safety net for energy traders
Will the Edison Electric Institute’s master netting agreement help reduce credit risk for energy traders? Kevin Foster takes a look at this new initiative
End of an era for GdF
Gaz de France is certain to lose its monopoly position – without it, what strategy can the gas giant adopt in a liberalised European market? Mickael Laurans reports
How much can you take?
Given recent events, energy firms need to fundamentally re-think how they estimate their risk tolerance. Maria Kielmas asks what has prompted this soul-searching
A mark-to-market u-turn
A reversion to the old, non-mark-to-market regime for accounting for energy trading contracts is changing the energy supply business, reports Catherine Lacoursière
Weighing up the options
The Brazilian energy market is set for more upheaval as the incoming president seeks a compromise between his campaign promises of greater state control over energy and the goal of attracting foreign investors into the sector. Maria Kielmas reports
El Paso helps RiskMetrics adapt
RiskMetrics Group, a company more often associated with the financial sector, is implementing its risk solution software at energy firm El Paso Corp. How is it adapting the software to the specifics of the energy sector? Kevin Foster reports
A long road to deregulation
Prospex Research’s Ben Tait reports on Spain and Portugal’s progress in integrating their power markets. High ambitions for deregulation are proving difficult to achieve
All clear for energy
Several organisations have brought over-the-counter clearing to the US energy markets over the past six months. Kevin Foster assesses their progress and asks whether they can all survive
Clearer waters for ratings
Despite a credit ratings crisis in the energy markets, the prognosis for natural gas companies looks stable, finds Shifa Rahman
Gas storage and power prices: inextricably linked
While much has been made of the effect of natural gas storage on gas prices, very little thought has been given to its impact on the price of electricity. John Hopper, president of Falcon Gas Storage Company, analyses the situation