Energy transition
Blending the rules
The speed of decline of North Sea crude raises fresh concerns over the suitability of the North Sea as a benchmark, and to worries over the value of long-dated derivatives contracts. By Stella Farrington
Caring competition
What are the theoretical consequences of restructuring electricity markets on emissions? Here, Benoît Sévi shows that changes in supply and consumption and restructuring for competition has environmental effects, and argues that strong public policies…
Utility 2025: a vision
Power companies will face enormous political, societal, and technological change over the next 20 years. Douglas Houseman and Dennis Taylor of Capgemini look at how the utility of the future should embrace change
Wolfgang Schollnberger
WOLFGANG SCHOLLNBERGER has spent 37 eventful years in the oil and gas industry. He talks to Stella Farrington about his vision for a sustainable energy mix
Calpine to provide Newmarket with energy services
Calpine Energy Services (CES), part of California-based power company Calpine Corp, is to provide energy services to Newmarket Services Company. Newmarket is a newly formed subsidiary of New York- and London-based asset acquisition firm MMC Energy and…
Energising the US
Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry has plans to require the US to generate20% of its electricity from renewable sources. But just how different are Kerry’sand President Bush’s stances on energy policy? By Paul Lyon
Goldman Sachs buys more US power plants
Goldman Sachs has added to its portfolio of US physical energy assets by buying equity interests in 12 power plants and a natural gas pipeline for $656 million from bankrupt Maryland-based National Energy & Gas Transmission (NEGT). The investment bank…
Energy users to join Italian power exchange by 2005
Energy consumers are now expected to start trading on the Italian wholesale power exchange by the start of 2005, said Paolo Ghislandi, secretary-general of Aiget, the Milan-based Italian association of energy traders and suppliers.
Offshore wind to be big business, says new Fitch MD
Offshore wind projects and the newly expanded European Union will both bring good opportunities to Fitch Ratings over the coming 18 to 24 months, according to the Fitch Energy Group’s new European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) managing director Andrew…
Iberdrola’s inroads
Spanish utility Iberdrola supplied almost a third of its home country’selectricity in 2003. And with a joint Iberian energy market scheduled to startin March, the firm has plans for further expansion into Portugal. By Joe Marsh
Teething troubles
Following decades of cloistered state control and the exit of a number of largeUS players, the Australian power market is going through a period of hiccups. Paul Lyon reports on the outlook for the country’s electricity sector
Vertical take-off
As UK supplier Centrica narrows its focus to fund an asset acquisition spree, James Ockenden finds the ‘asset-light’ utility model has finallybeen buried and a move towards ‘vertical integration’ is now thestrategy of choice
Nomura creates energy capital markets group
Japanese bank Nomura has created an energy capital markets group based in New York and London. The group will focus on the strategic acquisition of assets and financing of investments in energy and related infrastructure.
Energising Houston
Bear Stearns created its Houston-based energy group to acquire and optimise powergeneration assets in North America. And the business is going from strength-to-strength,says its managing director Pamela Baden. Paul Lyon report
At ease with ethanol
Central Illinois Energy, a US farming co-op, is in the process of building anethanol plant. And it has already started to think about hedging, reflectingthe growing sophistication of the US ethanol market. PaulLyon reports
Centrica sells AA, looks to acquire energy assets
British utility Centrica is to sell its Automobile Association (AA) motoring organisation for £1.75 billion to private equity firms CVC and Permira. The sale will raise cash to pay a higher dividend and buy back shares and Centrica will also use the…
Nord Pool entices Russian companies
A delegation of Russian companies yesterday met with Nord Pool to discuss the possibility of becoming members of the Oslo-based electricity exchange.
Amerada Hess forms LNG division
US energy company Amerada Hess has formed a joint venture with an affiliate of New York-based Poten & Partners, to be known as Hess LNG. The joint venture will be based at Amerada's New York headquarters and will pursue investments in liquefied natural…
The fuel of the future?
Could coal as a source of electricity generation be back on the monitors of many US utilities? Logical Information Machines’ Sandy Fielden looks at the reasons behind higher coal prices in the country and considers whether coal can really compete in the…
Reliably informed
Pat Wood, chairman of US interstate energy regulator the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission, talks to James Ockenden about reliability, regulation, and wherenext for the competitive market in the US
Trading places
Canada’s energy landscape is being reshaped. The NGX has changed handsand looks set to expand. Meanwhile, an Ontario government report warns more workneeds to be done to secure future power supplies. By Paul Lyon
LNG drive gears up
The global push for LNG has reached a new level – particularly in the US. Big players had projects rubber-stamped or proposed further terminals, and the inaugural LNG summit took place. Joe Marsh reports