Feature
Heeding the warning signs
Following the Enron bankruptcy, the use of bond-spread analysis has become increasingly important. Mark Williams looks at how firms can benefit from it
Proper procedures
Rajiv Arora examines the processes necessary for effectively measuring, managing and hedging credit risks
Finding a solution to the credit problem
Peter Stockman of Accenture outlines what energy companies can do, internally, to manage credit more effectively and addresses the potential benefits of participating in a multilateral netting solution for the industry
Discovering new frontiers
Joerg Engels and Volker Linde report on the changes Germany’s deregulated energy market will have to make as a result of the country’s banking act
Europe’s patchwork path to liberalisation
In the three years since the European Union’s Electricity Directive came into effect much has changed in Europe’s energy industry, but the industry is still far from achieving the goal of a pan-European energy market, as Matt Horsbrugh discovers
Utilities renegotiate to survive
For the past 10 years, Argentina’s privatised utilities have been icons of successful energy sector reform. But with the country’s deepening crisis, they face increased difficulties. What can investors do to mitigate such risks, asks Maria Kielmas
Mixed signals from the east
Flaws in Poland’s electricity regime have crippled Warsaw’s two-year-old power exchange. But Slovenia’s power exchange is faring rather better. Peter Joy reports
A cure for Enron flu
Brett Humphreys discusses recent events in the energy sector and the role risk managers can play in improving the industry
Worth waiting for?
Just over a year on from the delayed launch of the UK’s new electricity trading arrangements, prices have dropped to new lows. But just how low can generators go, asks Joel Hanley
Storing up the gains?
Natural gas prices are climbing again, and energy companies are reacting by putting in place new hedges, as Kevin Foster discovers
Keeping score
This month Brett Humphreys and Zach Jonasson show how energy trading firms can compare performance using publicly available corporate information
Banks take shelter in derivatives
While some banks have found the weather derivatives market a non-starter, others are doing deals worth more than $100 million. Eurof Thomas reports
A smooth handover?
A change in the way weekly natural gas storage figures are reported is proceeding fairly smoothly – but it may still cause price swings, as Kevin Foster discovers
Green scheme down under
Robin Lancaster reports on Australia’s government-mandated renewable energy certificates market, which – after a slow start – is expected to pick up fast
Covering the threat
Since September 11, energy companies have had to re-assess the threat of terrorist attack. Despite the insurance industry introducing new terms and products, some companies remain unprotected, as Joel Hanley discovers
Building blocks for complex probability distributions
Brett Humphreys demonstrates how to construct more accurate return distributions and use them to price options
Counterparty concerns
Following the California crisis and the fall of Enron, energy firms are finally paying more attention to credit risk. Here Fred Cohen, Satyan Malhotra and Rafael Cavestany present some overarching issues senior management must address in implementing an…
Stand-off over hub plans
German firms Ruhrgas and BEB Erdgas & Erdöl and Norway’s Statoil say they want to work with Gasunie on developing the northwest European natural gas trading hub. Gasunie is making similar noises. So why the separate plans, asks Peter Joy
Pause for thought?
Electricity deregulation in Ontario promises to avoid the price hikes and power shortages seen in some markets. So why are end-users unhappy? Kevin Foster reports
Navigating a troubled road
Don Stowers finds the online energy trading market place as competitive as ever, with several new platforms ready to enter the fray
Many are called, few are chosen
The market for power trading technology in Europe is mirroring the energy industry in the intensity of its competition. Benjamin Tait reports
Growing quietly
The liberalised German markets now allow large industrial end-users to manage their energy price risk. But, while the competition to manage their exposures is large, these firms are playing their cards close to their chests, reports Joel Hanley