Audience

Duke Energy CFO David Hauser on Monday told an audience of investment professionals that his company is open to the idea of partnering its troubled Duke Energy North America (DENA) unit with an entity with deep pockets, such as a bank, as DENA continues to face tough times in the merchant power sector.

Tossing aside the need for investment-grade credit, NRG Corp.’s new CEO, David Crane, told a financial audience Tuesday that his company is poised to become the first real success story in the merchant generation sector. He called NRG the “anti-Calpine” in remarks at the Lehman Brothers’ 2004 High-Yield Bond Syndicated Loan Conference in Orlando, FL.

Richard Green, CEO of Aquila Inc., last week told an audience of investment professionals that the company’s disposition of its trade book has “virtually been completed.” The company in August of last year vowed to exit the wholesale energy marketing and trading business operated by its Aquila Merchant Services subsidiary (see NGI, Aug. 12, 2002).

A financial community audience hosted by Standard & Poor’s in New York City was told last Wednesday that in the wake of this year’s energy industry credit and credibility crisis, electricity reserves look adequate for North America through 2008, but energy price volatility is expected to continue, particularly in regard to natural gas. On average, however, gas prices should stay in the $2.75-$3.50/MMBtu range, according to a presentation by Boulder, CO-based researcher Douglas Logan, a principal in Platts Research & Consulting/RDI.

A leading energy pundit told a Houston audience last week that the U.S. energy debate is completely politicized–what should be a populist issue has instead been relegated to the “conservative side of the Republican Party.” And partly because of the divide, the country is falling further behind in its quest for more energy supplies.

A leading energy pundit told a Houston audience this week that the U.S. energy debate is completely politicized — what should be a populist issue has instead been relegated to the “conservative side of the Republican Party.” And partly because of the divide, the country is falling further behind in its quest for more energy supplies.

Canadian business and government energy representatives assureda Washington audience last week that the immense Canadian reservesand strong market ties between the U.S. and Canada spell long-termsupply security for U.S. consumers.