Feature
Techno prisoners
IT disasters can bankrupt companies, so software vendors should be available 24-7. But often mergers and sales mean the software supplier no longer exists in its original form. What can the buyer do then? Joel Hanley reports
Weathering the storm
Mandeep Sidhu, Kent Voss and Marty Makulski of Accenture discuss the climatic changes in the energy industry over the past year and how this may impact future trends
Courses for Californian water resources
No discussion about the state of the energy industry is complete without mentioning the Californian power crisis. Catherine Lacoursière interviews Pete Garris, acting deputy director of the California Energy Resources Scheduling division (CERS) at the…
The value of volatility
Brett Humphreys and Tim Essaye seek out the best method for calculating volatility by comparing different measures, and find that complex approaches aren’t necessarily the best ones to use
Unleaded prices feel the heat
Data management and analytics specialist FAME Information Services looks at the effect the US driving season is having on US gasoline prices, taking into account various factors – in particular, the big impact of higher crude oil prices this summer
Rating agencies raise the bar
Confidence in energy traders has never been lower, and the metrics the rating agencies apply to their business are changing. James Ockenden assesses the damage
Tools for the trade
Ken Nichols examines the mechanisms available for incorporating credit risk management into an energy company’s portfolio
Avoiding over-exposure
Eurof Thomas finds the European energy market is increasing its focus on credit risk mitigation in the wake of Enron’s demise
Higher or lower?
Kevin Foster looks at how credit rating agencies assign a rating to companies in the energy sector and what kind of factors are taken into account
Demystifying credit risk
Satyan Malhotra, Fred Cohen and Rafael Cavestany formulate an analysis for the measurement of credit risk in the energy industry
A whole new ball game
Enron’s bankruptcy has changed the playing field for credit risk in the energy sector. Kevin Foster reports on the renewed significance of assessing credit quality