Power
Assessing cybersecurity of the US power grid
Threats to the cybersecurity of the US power grid are on the rise and the issue is now on the radars of chief risk officers at utilities, rather than just IT heads. Alexander Osipovich investigates how the industry is responding and assesses the odds of…
Turning points: First Utility’s Ian McCaig
First Utility’s Ian McCaig talks to Jay Maroo about the diverse career that led to his recent appointment as chief executive and his passion about changing energy buying habits in the UK
How relevant is VAR for energy markets?
Despite its many limitations, value-at-risk (VAR) is still the most commonly used risk profile measuring tool in the energy industry. In this first article in a new series, Chris Strickland discusses why the energy industry’s love affair with VAR could…
UK power market risks losing more liquidity unless structural change introduced
The UK power market risks becoming even more of a closed shop unless initiatives to introduce structural change are successful, according to some market experts. Gillian Carr reports
Cutting edge: Valuation of spread commodity structures
In this paper, Dan Mahoney and Krzysztof Wolyniec show that in co-integrated (mean-reverting) futures markets, active dynamic hedging is required to realise the quadratic variation of the underlying spread process. Using static hedges/portfolios yields…
European power market coupling marches on
Market coupling projects continue to spread across Europe, bringing the market closer to achieving a single power price – but challenges still lie ahead. In the first article in a series focusing on European power markets, Gillian Carr looks at the next…
Turning points - Nord Pool Spot's Mikael Lundin
Nord Pool Spot’s chief executive, Mikael Lundin, talks to Gillian Carr about his wanderlust, the quest for greater power market integration in Europe and why everything is about people
Energy Risk presents the Future of Carbon Trading Round Table
With carbon prices plunging both the Europe and the US as the fragile global economy takes place Energy Risk is speaking to key players within the industry regarding the future of the carbon markets and what developments are foreseen in the future
Power plant hedging strategies
A comparison of common delta-hedging strategies and calculations finds that simple formulas used to calculate delta hedges can lead to severe biases. Cyriel de Jong, Hans van Dijken and Alexandra Bundalova suggest a relatively fast, but more accurate…
Regulation a concern for CEE power and gas traders
Regulation, market coupling and the drawback of import/export tariffs were some of the most pressing issues discussed at Energy Risk’s central and eastern Europe conference last month. Gillian Carr reports
Has the bubble burst for Italy's renewables market?
The recent legal changes relating to the renewables energy sector in Italy, which will retroactively cancel all industry incentives, has caused strong opposition from energy players. Catia Tomasetti and Gabriele Malgeri outline the changes
Q&A – RWE npower's Volker Beckers
Vanya Dragomanovich talks to RWE npower’s chief executive Volker Beckers about his hopes and concerns for UK electricity market reform and his long-term vision for the UK power markets
UK power chiefs call for more clarity on UK’s Electricity Market Reform
With the UK's power sector estimated to need some £200 billion ($317 billion) worth of investment in the next 10-15 years, much is riding on the Electricity Market Reform, which so far lacks detail, say top power executives
RWE npower: Challenges to UK power sector could provide revenue source for end-users
A potential revenue stream will open up over the next few years for energy-intensive corporations in the UK to sell back-up power to fill supply gaps left by retired plants, says RWE npower
Ten years after its collapse, Enron lives on in energy markets
There is no doubt that the influence of Enron lives on in today’s energy markets. Energy Risk talks to ex-Enronites about how the company achieved what it did and what lessons it can still teach us today
Biomass exchange: catalyst for European renewables?
The opening of a new Rotterdam-based biomass exchange is being hailed as the first step toward a functioning market for renewables within Europe. Ned Molloy reports
Ferc to re-examine wider impact of California power crisis
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has reopened a case concerning the impact of the 2000–01 California power crisis on the Pacific Northwest. Pauline McCallion reports
Impact of German nuclear phase-out on European energy markets
Germany’s decision to phase out nuclear power by 2022 could have wide-ranging implications for European power and gas markets, especially in the short term
US power – capacity
Power market players in the US PJM region remain locked in a stalemate over efforts to ensure reliability of future supply. Is this laying the foundations for price increases and shortages further down the line? Pauline McCallion reports
Spanish gas market growth slowing, says OIES
Although Spain's gas market has grown faster than all other major Euorpean countries, it now faces a number of challenges, says the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES)
US power transmission rule satisfies the market, for now
Ferc’s new interstate transmission rule addresses regional planning and cost allocation concerns, but there could be more controversy to come. Pauline McCallion reports
US power bodies call for clarity on Dodd-Frank “swap” definition
More guidance is needed from the CFTC on the definition of a swap, according to Ferc and other industry associations concerned about regulatory overlap
Texas could face power shortages due to new EPA rule: ERCOT
Pollution rule could impact long-term ERCOT reliability and create additional costs as power plants devote resources to understanding the new system, ERCOT warns
FERC requirements “burdensome & potentially misleading”
A move to boost the electricity market’s transparency through additional data reporting has drawn criticism and raised questions about the FERC’s focus. Pauline McCallion reports