Policy risk
US biofuels: beyond ethanol
Growth in the US ethanol market is slowing as the government rethinks its support for the industry. What does that mean for biofuels traders and could ethanol’s pain be biodiesel’s gain? Alexander Osipovich reports
European biodiesel: a market on hold?
The European biodiesel market is currently dealing with a combination of falling prices, market supply shifts and regulatory uncertainty. Jay Maroo talks to market experts about their outlook for this challenging marketplace. Jay Maroo reports
JP Morgan probe highlights Ferc power trading crackdown
A lawsuit filed against JP Morgan by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is the latest example of the agency's tough, new enforcement stance
Australia’s carbon scheme subject to political risk
Australia’s carbon scheme takes it first step but future development remains uncertain due to political risk.
Emission trading scheme in Rio suffers setback
Signing of decree by Rio de Janeiro governor is delayed – causing some to suspect lobbying efforts by those opposed to the scheme may have worked
Fallout from JP Morgan loss will hit energy markets: IEA
JP Morgan’s recent $2 billion trading loss could toughen a trio of Dodd-Frank Act rules, potentially hurting energy markets, the International Energy Agency says
Energy Risk USA 2012
The impact of Dodd-Frank, the future of natural gas markets and the risk of extreme weather were all topics of vigorous discussion at the 2012 Energy Risk USA conference. Alexander Osipovich reports
Will CFTC's new powers lead to more market manipulation cases?
US regulators have gained new powers to battle energy market manipulation, and the White House is pushing them to act more aggressively. Should traders be worried? Alexander Osipovich reports
Applied risk management series
With accounting standard IFRS 9 due to replace IAS 39 by 2015, Carlos Blanco, Michael Pierce and José Ramón Aragonés explore the implications for energy hedging programmes with emphasis on hedge effectiveness tests and the use of optimal hedge ratios
Regulatory Advisory Firm of the Year: SunGard Global Services
SunGard Global Services wins our inaugural category of Regulatory Advisory Firm of the Year for its unique service model approach to trade monitoring and surveillance – processes regulators are becoming more insistent on
Exchange of the Year: European Energy Exchange
The European Energy Exchange (EEX) has won Energy Risk’s Exchange of the Year award for a successful year in which it has grown its European natural gas market share and initiated policies that anticipate, rather than react to, changing market conditions…
Energy Risk USA: CFTC to move quickly on swap definition – Berkovitz
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is very close to finalising its long-awaited definition of a swap, says CFTC general counsel Dan Berkovitz
Advert raises questions about US Airways' stance on fuel hedging
US Airways, which has stood out from the rest of the airline industry in recent years because of its refusal to hedge fuel costs, wants to hire someone to run a fuel hedging programme. The airline denies that it is reversing its stance on fuel hedging,…
European power market series: Iberia
Liquidity in the Iberian power market has been on the rise thanks to market coupling and a move away from fixed tariffs, but uncertainty around government intervention and a lack of interconnection with the rest of Europe remain huge obstacles to…
Can the boutique energy brokerage survive Dodd-Frank?
The Dodd-Frank Act is set to drastically reshape the over-the-counter energy derivatives brokerage industry in the US, as small firms in particular are threatened with the loss of their independence. Alexander Osipovich finds out how brokers are coping…
Argentina’s YPF move raises political risk fears
Argentina’s expropriation of Repsol’s stake in YPF and Brazil’s prosecution of Chevron highlight the risks facing foreign energy companies in Latin America. Alexander Osipovich reports
US energy firms relieved about CFTC’s ‘swap dealer’ definition; public utilities concerned
Many US energy companies breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday after the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) voted to narrow the definition of a 'swap dealer'. In a long-awaited decision, the agency dramatically raised the threshold for how…
White House seeks tools to fight ‘excessive’ oil speculation
On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama launched a new initiative aimed at curbing speculation in energy markets, arguing that it would help ease the pain of high gasoline prices. He urged Congress to give the US Commodities Futures Trading Commission …
EC data reinforces oversupply in carbon market
According to data published by the European Commission, the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme was oversupplied with allowances in 2011
Increasing pessimism over European carbon market: survey
Participants are becoming increasingly bearish in their outlook for the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme according to this year's Point Carbon survey
Volcker rule to pummel US energy industry: IHS
The so-called 'Volcker rule', if carried out the way regulators have proposed, will make it more difficult for the US energy industry to access risk management services, harming oil and gas producers, refiners and utilities, according to a study released…
The long and winding road to Dodd-Frank
As the Dodd-Frank rule-making process drags on, US energy companies are wondering when they will finally have clarity about the law’s impact on their business. Alexander Osipovich examines some of the key issues being thrashed out in the months to come
New US EPA rules seek to dethrone old King Coal
Regulators are turning up the heat on US utilities with a pair of tough new air-quality rules likely to hasten the demise of older coal-fired plants. Alexander Osipovich examines the implications
US energy firms lagging in Dodd-Frank readiness: survey
Two-thirds of upstream US energy companies have done nothing to comply with new regulations imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act, according to a new survey