On Sept. 23, 2016, the Federal Reserve issued proposed rules that could put pressure on investment banks, such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, to divest certain energy assets and energy trading activities.
Wall Street
Federal Reserve Proposes Rules Aimed At Banks Owning, Trading And Moving Commodities
By Andrew Campbell | BakerHostetlerSign up and get Breaking Energy news in your inbox.
We will never sell or share your information without your consent. See our privacy policy.Corporate Wrongdoing: More Civil And Criminal Liability For Individuals?
By Jeffrey B. Coopersmith, Gerald George | Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
The US Department of Justice has issued a memorandum to all of its prosecuting Divisions, directing changes to the principles applied by DOJ in prosecuting civilly or criminally individuals who engage in corporate misconduct.
Energy News Roundup: UM Survey on American Energy Consumers, U.S. Stocks Drop After Fed Statement & Superbowl Energy Savings
By Conor O'Sullivan
A new University of Michigan study has revealed that the average American consumer factors personal concern, primarily income, into their attitudes about energy. “Americans are just as concerned about energy’s impact on the environment as they are about its affordability, according to first-year results of the University of Michigan Energy Survey. Consumers also express much… Keep reading →
When supplies of dry US natural gas swelled several years ago as companies honed their shale resource development skills, gas prices dramatically declined hitting a low of about $2 per million BTU. This caused natural gas producers to shift drilling operations into more liquids-rich areas and adjust their production more toward oil, which fetched higher… Keep reading →
There are some words in the business world that become swiftly debased: innovation and cleantech are, along with “crowd” anything, are among the worst of recent offenders. But that doesn’t mean that any of these terms fail to represent meaningful concepts for energy sector decision-makers, and if anything participants in energy business decision… Keep reading →
As Wall Street retreats from the energy trading business new players like major oil companies, utilities and other corporate enterprises are taking large chunks of the energy derivative and price hedging market. “With Wall Street hamstrung by growing regulatory restrictions, a recently finalized ban on proprietary trading and increased capital requirements, these corporate behemoths are… Keep reading →
If you are a regular reader, then you may be tired of me warning that utility business models are in trouble. I started years ago. And just a few weeks ago I alerted you once again to the very real dangers of net metering. But now we’re hearing a similar litany from the people who advise… Keep reading →
Early indications of the direction the newly activist Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are deeply worrying, not just for the power industry but for the entire economy, as well as for the future of the agency’s own necessary and important work in overseeing the evolving US electricity sector. Not many people cry for banks when regulators… Keep reading →
“No more Solyndras!” may make the headlines but money is continuing to be deployed in the green energy sector each year. It is a global phenomenon. According to an analytical service, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the first trillion dollars was invested at the end of 2011 and the next trillion will be invested in five years. This is occurring because renewable energy technologies and clean energy are beginning to scale globally, due to cost reductions and wider deployments. Added to this reality is the phenomena of impact investing as younger people with money are more engaged in clean energy solutions. This factor is significant, with 52% of the world’s population being under 30 and generational wealth being transferred to the young.
Another factor in this rising green financial milieu is the nascent impact of crowd funding. Solar Mosaic, a photovoltaic solar play in New York and California, was able to raise $1.1 million in one day for several projects in multifamily housing. The projects are expected to generate 4.5% returns for many years. More capital will be flowing into US clean energy as community solar takes off and smaller investors, who are not accredited at $ 1million in net worth, begin deploying their capital in this sector. It is the law of large numbers and it is opening a flood gate
in innovative financing. The SEC has yet to write the rules of the game in this emerging arena catalyzed by the Jobs Act. Keep reading →
In a domestic energy market developing faster than just about anyone can remember, the key for investors is in finding an edge.
That’s not easy in a natural gas market bloated with inventory. But oil is a different story. Those domestic oil companies innovating new schemes to get their product to market or pulling more oil from the ground are at the leading edge of America’s energy renaissance. Keep reading →
