Credit risk
Calpine sets up $250m credit facility
California power company Calpine has entered into a $250 million letter of credit facility with Deutsche Bank, which expires in October 2005. The San José-based company expects this new credit enhancement structure to widen its spark spreads and increase…
Looking to the east
Can power market operators in the new EU member states in eastern Europe gainthe liquidity they need to challenge either bilateral electricity contracts orthe established exchanges? Joe Marsh reports
Oklahoma utility sells $140 million of 30-year senior notes
Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company (OG&E), the power utility subsidiary of OGE Energy Corp, has sold $140 million of 6.5% 30-year senior notes to help finance a power plant purchase.
A decent exposure
Most energy companies have a portfolio of over-the-counter energy derivativesthat could have significant credit exposures. In this paper, RafaelMendible examines the credit exposure of these derivatives, its relationto volatility,and its relation to…
BNP closes revolving credit facility for Sempra Energy Trading
French bank BNP Paribas has closed a $1 billion multicurrency secured revolving credit facility for four borrowers forming part of Sempra Energy Trading, the commodity-trading unit of San Diego-based Sempra Energy.
Trading master agreement updated for UK power
The London-based Futures and Options Association (FOA) has released new standardised power trading documentation for the UK.
Pemex gains $1.25bn credit facility
Mexican oil company Pemex yesterday set up a credit facility of $1.25 billion, arranged by four firms, including French bank BNP Paribas.
El Paso sells four power plants
Houston-based energy company El Paso Corp is continuing its mass sell-off of assets by closing the sale of a further four power plants to Northern Star Generation. El Paso Merchant Energy, a business unit of El Paso Corp, sold the facilities on July 2…
Montréal Exchange and Oxen to offer energy clearing
The Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation (CDCC) - a wholly owned subsidiary of the Montréal Exchange (MX) - and the Alberta Watt Exchange, an Alberta-based energy exchange wholly owned by digital commodity exchange operator Oxen, are to provide…
Nordic volumes heading south
Nordic region electricity trading volumes are falling fast, which is damagingprofits at Oslo-based power exchange Nord Pool. The company may face postinga loss for 2004 if it cannot reverse this trend. Joe Marsh reports
The standard is set
Continuing last month’s focus on documentation under which commoditiesare traded on the UK’s National Balancing Point and Belgium’s ZeebruggeHub, using Isda’s European Gas Annex. By Agnes Bizet and Kevin Wulwik
The liquidity makers
Hedge funds are bringing liquidity to the structured end of commodity markets,and some – such as Citadel – are even trading in physical energyproducts. This can only make energy markets more efficient, finds James Ockenden
ABN to offer centralised power and gas clearing platform
Dutch bank ABN Amro today said it’s energy futures division is developing a platform to provide centralised over-the-counter (OTC) clearing for natural gas and power contracts at six European energy exchanges – UKPX, EEX, Endex, Powernext, IPE and…
Senators lambast CFTC for opposing OTC market regulation
US senators Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, California) and Maria Cantwell (Democrat, Wshnington) have attacked the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for opposing their legislation that seeks to increase the regulatory oversight of the over-the…
KWI allies with Toshiba to tap Japanese market
KWI, the London-based risk technology company, has created the first Japanese-language energy trading and risk management (ETRM) application in conjunction with Toshiba Corporation, the Japanese developer and manufacturer of power generation systems.
TXU lines up $2.5 billion of new credit facilities
Three subsidiaries of Dallas-based energy company TXU have refinanced $2.25 billion of bank facilities scheduled to mature in 2005.
Fortis to enter energy trading with Xenon
Fortis Financial Services, the market trading affiliate of Fortis Bank, has selected Sakonnet Technology's Xenon trading and risk management application for its new energy trading activities in New York.
Sempra completes $1bn credit facility
Connecticut-based Sempra Energy Trading, the energy-trading unit of Sempra Energy, has completed a two-year committed credit facility for $1 billion to help finance the company’s global operations.
RWE signs up to Raft
RWE, the German utility company, has signed up to use Raft’s credit risk management technology, Raft Credit. Raft International, the London-based risk technology company, did not disclose the size of the contract.
PSE&G closes $600 million credit facility
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) has closed on a new $600 million revolving credit facility. This transaction is one of the first five-year revolvers in the power sector in recent years.
Danish state-owned energy company signs up to Allegro
The Danish State-owned energy company, Dansk Olie og Naturgas (Dong), has signed up to use Allegro Development’s trading and risk management software for its natural gas operations.
Sempra secures credit facility; raises earnings guidance
San Diego-based Sempra Energy is in the process of securing a two-year line of credit with "major financial institutions" that will provide as much as $1 billion. The line of credit, which will be secured by certain trading company assets, will be used…
A poor standard
Rating agency Standard & Poor’s has recently released guidelines totest liquidity that could be an efficient probe into company finances. BrettHumphreys looks at how S&P has arrived at its calculations, asks if the liquiditymeasures are too conservative…
A natural standard
In the first part of a two-part series, Agnes Bizet and KevinWulwik highlightthe main issues to consider when trading under Isda’s European Gas Annex,including a close look at default events