Archive for December, 2011

Energy companies have been told by Ofgem that they must give customers a 30-day warning before upping prices, energy conference delegates may want to hear.

Companies providing oil and gas must also inform consumers 30 days in advance of any tariff changes which could leave them worse off.

The utilities watchdog made the ruling this week, after promising recently that sweeping pricing reforms would be enforced for all energy companies. A spokesman said that current tariffs were "bamboozling" for customers.

Andrew Wright, Ofgem’s senior partner for markets, said: "Today’s changes will again show that we are serious about making sure suppliers play it straight with consumers.

"We believe that 30 days advance notification of price increases, coupled with our new proposals for more transparency and an end to complex tariffs, will give consumers more power to make informed switching choices."

Currently, companies have up to three months after a change has been made to inform customers.

There is still around half the North Sea oil and gas reserves left according to reports which may be of interest to people attending energy conferences.

Scotland’s energy minister Fergus Ewing has said that it’s now beyond doubt that there is almost as much North Sea oil and gas left as has already been extracted.

He added that oil and gas will be a key element of the Scottish Government’s bid to “re-establish Scottish independence”.

However, his comments go against a recent report from industry body Oil & Gas UK which said that there could be as little as 14 billion barrels left in the area. This means that at current extraction it could run out in 17 years.

Marcus Evans presents energy conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

The talk of energy conferences this year is likely to be renewable sources as governments continue to deal with the rising cost of fuel. And China has recently taken the lead from the United States in wind energy capacity.

Installations in the United States last year were at half of 2009’s levels, with the industry pointing to a lack of long term policy on renewable energy grants.

China however has registered an increase of 62 per cent in capacity compared to a year ago.

In the report by the American Wind Energy Association there is good news for the US. Total wind energy capacity is now at 40,180 megawatts, which is 15 per cent higher than the start of 2010.

The industry faces a challenge in 2011 to continue working with governments on energy policy.

Marcus Evans presents energy conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

Measures proposed in the Budget may be at the fore of discussion at energy conferences due to be held soon.

Chancellor George Osborne made several promises regarding oil and gas, which he claimed were aimed at easing the financial squeeze for taxpayers, but some green groups have suggested they do not help the environment as much as they could.

Proposals included a delay in the planned fuel duty rise, which eco groups said would not help to encourage people to use eco-friendly electric cars. However, the chancellor announced a freeze on company car tax for low emission cars.

A delay on increased air passenger duty was also announced. Issues were also raised with the lack of detail provided on the government’s green loans policy

An increase in the climate change levy from 65 per cent to 80 per cent was proposed. More detail was also given on the carbon floor price.

Marcus Evans presents energy events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts

Building alliances with companies in foreign territories will be the focus of energy conferences this year. And industry giant BP has announced an oil and gas partnership with India’s largest energy company in a £12billion deal.

BP will pay $7.2 billion to Reliance Industries for a 30% stake in 23 Indian oil and gas blocks.

The firm is buying assets which produce more than 30% of India’s total gas consumption, where demand is growing at record pace.

This deal is the second foreign venture announced by BP as it recovers from the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster of last year. In January BP teamed with Russian firm Rosneft in a major deal to explore for oil in the Arctic region.

Experts believe BP chief executive Bob Dudley will seek further partnerships this year with countries rich in natural resources.

Marcus Evans presents energy conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

The future of energy supplies will be one of the big topics at energy conferences for years to come – with the recent uprisings in the Middle East a major factor.

However, instability in that region has long been an accepted, if unwelcome, feature of the world’s energy plans.

The damage caused to the nuclear energy sector by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami is a much less familiar subject.

With radiation leaking from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the district has been evacuated.

Now, other countries are questioning the future of their nuclear programmes.

Having just last year decided to prolong the lifespan of a number of older reactors, Germany announced on Monday that it would now close them down.

EU energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger has also raised the prospect of a nuclear-free Europe in the future, to the alarm of many in the energy sector.

Marcus Evans presents energy conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

Ensuring Reliability and Safety in the Power Generation Sector
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Power generation organizations will succeed in the long term if they work to improve reliability and safety, says Michael Kotara, Senior Vice President of Power Generation, CPS Energy. “An asset management program that addresses key maintenance issues and manages assets on a lifecycle basis would allow generators to anticipate failures and prevent them from occurring,” he adds.

A speaker at the marcus evans Generation Summit 2012, in San Antonio, Texas, February 7-8, Kotara discusses why asset management programs in power generation companies can help them achieve success in today’s business environment.   

How can power generation executives reduce costs while maintaining efficiency?

Natural gas prices are decreasing, shifting the concern of power efficiency to power reliability. The trick for keeping costs in control is in maintaining high reliability.

An asset management program that addresses key maintenance issues and manages assets on a lifecycle basis would allow generators to anticipate failures and prevent them from occurring. We must spend money wisely and increase productivity. It is a balancing act. Once you have the whole team focused on the same goal, it can be done.

How can organizations manage environmental uncertainty?

Environmental uncertainty has proven to be a challenge; we have had to put off any significant new decisions until there is some clarity around upcoming environmental regulations. The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule should provide some certainty, but more is needed.

Power generation organizations must put a high priority on the environment. At CPS Energy we routinely do employee surveys to understand employee engagement and these have shown that our staff feel strongly about safety and our environmental principles. If you put a high priority on it and make sure all employees are aware of it, they will deliver consistent environmental compliance. 

What trends do you see playing out in the future?

There has been a shift towards natural gas-fired generation. In Texas we are already seeing new gas-fired combined cycle projects being proposed.

In addition, we are seeing older coal-fired generation be retired. Some of that capacity may be converted to natural gas, but there is a lot of uncertainty around that. We do not know how much of the old coal fleet will actually be retired versus retrofitted with new equipment to make it compliant with new regulations.

Do you have any final comments?

Safety for employees, the general public and onsite suppliers is paramount. As an industry we must continue to improve safety, regardless of how good it might be now, as it directly affects people’s lives.

Contact: Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Generation Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at The Westin La Cantera Resort, San Antonio, Texas, February
7-8, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on meeting future energy demands whilst advancing clean air objectives, revolutionizing the energy mix and preparing for regulations which lie ahead. 

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – environment/utilities/ energy sector portal

The Energy Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

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The continual increase in fuel prices during economic recession will be a key topic at energy conferences this year.

And this follows reports in Britain yesterday of petrol prices reaching £6 a gallon for the first time in history.

The pressure on world oil prices has led to record fuel costs in countries facing times of austerity.

And many have raised concerns that working people will struggle to get to jobs – and that governments will have to consider intervention.

Last month’s uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia has created a situation of general unrest in the Middle East.

This has unsurprisingly led to a rise in oil prices after key supply lines were disrupted in February.

Economists have already expressed concern that similar disruption could occur in other Middle Eastern countries, and that prices will continue to rise.

Marcus Evans presents energy conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

The talk of energy conferences this year will be the rising price of oil around the world.

And last week the Overseas Development Minister warned petrol prices could reach as much as £2 a litre in the UK.

Alan Duncan pointed to the political situation in Libya and other oil-producing countries in the Middle East.

The minister is a former oil trader, and he told The Times that prices could surge to as much as $250 a barrel if terrorists attack oil tankers in the region.

He warned "I’ve been saying in government for two months that if this does go wrong, £1.30 at the pump could look like a luxury".

In an effort to ease pressure on motorists the Government announced it would scrap a planned increase on fuel duty in April.

Marcus Evans presents energy conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.