Risk management
House unveils draft cap and trade bill
Democrats in the House of Representatives issued draft legislation today proposing an 83% carbon cap by 2050 and a national renewable energy requirement of 25% by 2025.
Point Carbon finds recession has reduced demand for carbon credits
The global credit crunch has significantly altered the balance between the supply and demand for carbon credits and led to a large scale-back in carbon credit project development, carbon consultancy Point Carbon has stated at its Copenhagen-based…
Commodities on Bclear from March 30
Exchange NYSE Liffe will offer clearing for a range of soft and agricultural commodity products on its over-the-counter (OTC) trade confirmation, administration and clearing platform Bclear on March 30. Bclear was launched in 2005 and currently offers…
Constellation refocuses
Loss-making firm Constellation Energy looks to restructure and focus on power generation after rejecting a merger deal with MidAmerican
CFTC names Chilton head of energy committee
Bart Chilton, one of four commissioners at the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission, has this week taken charge of the regulator's energy markets advisory committee.
Is it all over for over-the-counter?
Bills proposed in the US Congress to limit the influence of speculators and boost transparency could significantly alter the OTC commodity trading landscape. Roderick Bruce reports
RWE restructures
RWE has announced plans to restructure its supply and distribution business in Germany and reorganise its ultra-high voltage grid as part of a €6.5 billion investment scheme.
FCStone Group increases bad debt provision for energy trading account
FCStone Group expects to incur an additional $60m to $80m pre-tax bad debt provision in connection with previously-reported losses on a significant energy trading account.
Icap clears first ag swap through ICE
Interdealer broker Icap has executed the first ever cleared agricultural swap transaction through IntercontinentalExchange clearing house ICE Clear US. Regulatory approval for such transactions was granted by the CFTC in December last year.
CFTC acts to shut out grain futures speculators
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has approved new rules designed to reduce distortions in the soft commodity futures markets caused by speculative activity.
BarCap executes RGGI forward trade agreement
Barclays Capital today executed its first transactions on a forward trade agreement that includes provisions for US emissions allowances associated with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first mandatory carbon cap-and-trade program in…
Asian airlines struggle with volatile oil prices
A major contributor to the large fuel-hedging losses suffered by Chinese and Taiwanese airlines for 2008 were collar strategies - the purchase of call options and simultaneous sale of put options. But some Asian carriers, such as Malaysia's Air Asia and…
European Commission plans global carbon trading scheme
The European Commission (EC) today set out proposals for a global agreement to tackle climate change, a pact it hopes will be signed at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December.
European energy outlook
2008 was a rollercoaster year for Europe's energy markets. Roderick Bruce interviews trading CEOs and other senior executives to see how they envisage Europe's gas & power markets developing in the year ahead
From Russia with hub
Ambitious plans to turn Baumgarten into Europe's most liquid gas hub face many challenges, but if successful could radically change the continent's gas trading landscape. Roderick Bruce reports
Ready for takeoff?
With aviation joining the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in 2012, Alex Meredith of Hunton & Williams asks whether the aviation sector is ready and looks at the potential impact on the carbon market
Oil change
George W. Bush ruled that the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve was to be released in significant amounts only in a national emergency. But incoming US president Barack Obama could change that, finds Susan Arterian
Ready for any weather
Roderick Bruce looks back at the highlights of the Weather Risk e-symposium, a live online conference hosted by Energy Risk in late November
Gas storage: rolling intrinsic valuation
John Breslin, Les Clewlow, Tobias Elbert, Calvin Kwok, Chris Strickland and Daniel van der Zee describe a simple to execute and risk-limiting trading strategy, the rolling intrinsic method