When Is The Best Time to Purchase Energy?
Are You Paying More Than You Should?
1st Quarter Market Outlook
How to Take Advantage of the Deregulated Energy Markets?
How to Lower your Energy Costs with an Energy Procurement PlatformAre You at Risk for High Energy Prices?
Are you getting a clear energy view from your supplier?
Can you react quickly to volatile changes in today's energy market?
Do you know exactly how much you spend on energy?
Do you know how to reduce your energy spend?
Are you aware of the markets that are open to third party supply?
How do track your GHG Emissions for Carbon Reporting?
What is Demand Response and is it right for you?
Energy Blog
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Is Now the Time to Buy? (Part Two)
While cleaning up my old blogs, I came across my blog from August 29, 2011 where I asked if this was the time to buy. We have records going back for years showing how September typically offers the lowest prices in natural gas. Easy to understand why - the hot summer is behind us and the winter is an unknown. Who would have known that this winter was going to be so unseasonably warm across the country! Looking back at the NYMEX last day settle for September, we were looking at $3.85 for natural...
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EPA's new Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) Delayed
In a stunning last-minute decision December 30,2011, a Federal Court of Appeals blocked immediate implementation of EPA's new Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) pending further judicial review; less than 48 hours before CSAPR was scheduled to go into effect. The Court's ruling creates huge uncertainty regarding electricity and natural gas prices and the environmental restrictions applicable to coal-fired generating units in the 28 covered states. In a December Blog we reported that the Ame...
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China’s Energy Demand Factor
What’s on the horizon that can and will affect our energy resources? Once again, we must turn our attention to China. Let’s face it – one fifth of the world’s population lives in China! Since it has become industrialized it is consuming more energy than ever before! Consider the following facts: By 2025, China will build TEN New York-sized cities! Source: Mckinsey, "Preparing for China's urban billion" By 2030, China will add more new city-dwellers than the entire U.S. population. Source...
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EIA Launches New Electricity Focused Web Page
We blog to provide you the energy data and market intelligence that helps you make your energy procurement decisions. This week, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) launched a new web-based report called the Electricity Monthly Update, replacing the Monthly Flash Estimates for Electric Power Data. This new product introduces a feature story, interactive graphics, a new presentation flow, and new electricity industry data sources. The report is organized into four sections: End Use...
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Competitive Electric Markets Work
Do competitive markets work? It seems like we need to justify the deregulation of energy markets everyday! If you ask our clients, who have been seeing year over year savings due to energy deregulation throughout North America, the answer would have to be an outstanding YES! Leila Vespoli, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of FirstEnergy Corp., recently spoke to the Ohio House of Representatives Public Utilities Committee on this issue. She testified about what Ohio has done right, i...
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Rising Energy Prices due to Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)
*Notice - As of 12/30/11, the U.S. Court of Appeals has delayed implementation of the CSAPR. Effective January 2012, the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) will require 27 states, mostly in the eastern half of the United States, to significantly reduce emissions from coal fired plants. The purpose of this rule is to help states reduce ground level ozone and other pollutants, replacing the EPA's 2005 Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR). The first restrictions go into effect on January 1, 2...
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When Should You Use an Energy Broker?
If you are in a deregulated state (click here for map of deregulated states) and consume an above average volume of energy, you HAVE BEEN CALLED by either a third party supplier or broker. In fact, you have probably been called MANY TIMES, maybe even by us! That is because deregulation has opened up a new industry geared at helping consumers understand the complexity of the market and make the right decisions. This is similar to how mutual funds opened up a new market for financial advisers, and...
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The Lighter Side of Energy Deregulation
I just read an article on Pennlive.com called "The Darker Side of Energy Deregulation", in which the author brings out a very valid point regarding the transparency in disclosing the true costs services. The author, who I assume to be a Pennsylvania resident, tells the story about his own experience of opening his electric bill, only to discover that his "discount carrier" had charged him more than twice the going rate for the month of June 2011. Whereas other energy providers in his area were ...
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Reverse Auctions for Energy Procurement
Reverse auctions are seen as providing a new tool for companies that will help them shave expenses and better document their procurement transactions. If I were a procurement professional, I'm sure I would like reverse auctions because: It cuts time and costs of both the product and the process (savings 5 to 15%) Companies focus on lowest cost and best value supply relationships; eliminates bias and opens bidding to new suppliers Transaction information is standardized, organized, time-sta...
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The State of Electric Deregulation
I just read a good article today in the July/August 2011 edition of EnergyBiz, headlined "Fast and Slow but Forward", regarding the direction of electricity deregulation. The article addresses the good, the bad and the ugly issues that have faced deregulated markets over the past 10 years. In short, there are no new deregulatory efforts going on at the present time. This is, in part, due to the bad press regarding retail energy prices increasing due to deregulation, rather than decreasing. In...
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