Load

Prices dwindled at virtually all points Friday as cooling load remained largely static or dropped in such key market areas as the Northeast. The previous day’s decline of 3 cents by September futures was an additional, but minor, bearish influence on the cash market.

Overall weather fundamentals didn’t seem all that supportive, but prices increased at a large majority of points Monday. The return of industrial load following the weekend was a minor bullish factor, while Friday’s futures gain of 0.3 cent was essentially neutral to the cash market.

Cash prices shrugged off the previous day’s screen drop of 11.7 cents and slightly receding cooling load and instead focused on the modest increase of potential in a tropical storm named Alex reaching the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) production area as they recorded gains at virtually all points Wednesday.

As a marketer had predicted a day earlier, the 6.2-cent drop by futures combined with a lack of heating load in nearly all areas would be sufficient to cause mostly small losses in the cash market Tuesday.

As a marketer had predicted a day earlier, the 6.2-cent drop by futures combined with a lack of heating load in nearly all areas would be sufficient to cause mostly small losses in the cash market Tuesday.

Despite predicted temperature moves that were more often slightly higher than conducive to boosting heating load, prices recorded single-digit gains at a large majority of points Tuesday.

Despite predicted temperature moves that were more often slightly higher than conducive to boosting heating load, prices recorded single-digit gains at a large majority of points Tuesday.

In a shrinking power load market nationally under the shadow of climate change policy responses and economic recession, NRG Energy Inc. CEO David Crane urged the electricity industry and financial analysts following it not to “overreact” to the prospect of what some would characterize as draconian measures set to come out of the Obama administration’s newly activated U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some segments of the coal industry may even thrive in the future, Crane said during an earnings conference call Tuesday.

In a shrinking power load market nationally under the shadow of climate change policy responses and economic recession, NRG Energy Inc. CEO David Crane urged the electricity industry and financial analysts following it not to “overreact” to the prospect of what some would characterize as draconian measures set to come out of the Obama administration’s newly activated U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some segments of the coal industry may even thrive in the future, Crane said during an earnings conference call Tuesday.