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Today's Agenda. Refresher on components of Gas ServiceWhat are we talking about buying with the auction?Current Market ConditionsGeneral Observations on Current and Future Pricing LevelsProjection on Price to City GateDon't forget LDC costs in your budget!What budget number would look like at
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1. SEM Executive Board Meeting
Fred Fastiggi, CEM
Vice President – Energy Services
Tom Brys, CEP
Director – Technical Services
2. Today’s Agenda Refresher on components of Gas Service
What are we talking about buying with the auction?
Current Market Conditions
General Observations on Current and Future Pricing Levels
Projection on Price to City Gate
Don’t forget LDC costs in your budget!
What budget number would look like at today’s future levels and projected Basis plus back end fee
Review of what the Back End Fee is
Logical Options Today
3. Dekatherm – 10 therms
NYMEX – New York Mercantile Exchange
Liquid Clearinghouse for commodity trading
Ability to hedge future prices
Interstate Transportation (Basis)
Cost to deliver gas from wellhead to city gate
City Gate
Delivery point of most natural gas contracts
Metering station where interstate pipeline connects to LDC distribution system
4. Natural Gas System
5. Natural Gas System 3 main components
Commodity (i.e. NYMEX)
Interstate transportation
Distribution
Deregulated structure
Commodity and interstate transportation made competitive, this is what you are buying through the auction!
Distribution system still regulated by public utility commission, not included in the auction solicitation.
6. Electric and natural gas prices dropped significantly between 7/08 and 5/09
Relatively flat between 5/09 and early December 2009 but over the last few weeks have spiked up by 80 cents or so for the near term futures
Range from $5-$6 per MMBTU (or decatherm) at Henry Hub
Recent spike seems to be tied to weather, inventories still at record highs
Oil prices currently at about $81/bbl
Energy prices continue to be highly volatile
This week alone, gas prices down 5 cents on Monday, down a quarter on Tuesday, up 37 cents on Wednesday, down 20 cents on Thursday
Upward bias
Greater reaction/movement associated with bullish news
Recent spike seems to be weather driven, with inventories still at record highs most believe prices will retreat to pre-cold snap levels once temperatures return to seasonal levels
11. Natural Gas (Working Gas In Storage)
12. BCF of Natural Gas in Storage
13. Volatility will prevail
Short term drivers
Weather
Natural gas storage
Oil prices
Economy
Value of the dollar
Upward bias long term
Storage Approaching Historical High Levels
In the absence of any type of “event”, with a slow economic recovery and given the continuing relatively high levels of gas storage, gas prices will likely retreat somewhat from current levels with a return to normal weather and temperatures
14. Don’t try to out guess the market, contract because you like the price, e.g.:
“Compared to what I’ve paid recently, this is an OK price”
“Compared to what I have in my budget, this price would give me favorable variance "
“I like the fact that I can budget with confidence and not be subjected to wide cost swings outside of my control”
18. All in Cost of Natural Gas
19. What is the “Back End Fee”? This is a way of paying for the procurement services and auction costs without having to front the money
An adder is included in the price to compare that is posted for suppliers to bid against (it is in our recommended Price to Compare)
As gas is sold and paid for by the SEM members, at a price which is less than the price to compare, the back end fee is collected by the auctioneer and distributed to the SEM
The SEM uses a portion of the backend fee to pay its operating expenses
20. How Much of the Back End Fee does the SEM Get ? Depends of Volume of Gas Contracted
At 90% of expected volume there will be 360,000 dekatherms annually
Over 2 years with a $0.25 back end fee, that generates $180,000 to be split between World Energy and the SEM
Split being negotiated but right now, at worst SEM will get 40% but we will do better
At 40% SEM would get $72,000
At 60% SEM would get $108,000
At 70% SEM would get $126,000
Back end fees generated with an electric auction are expected to be 5+ times the gas auction back end fees given historical conditions
21. What to do? Three basic options
Go out for both commodity and interstate transportation (basis)
Go out for interstate transportation (basis) only, let the commodity float until buying situation improves (risk it will go up as well as go down but assuming current conditions, most believe there will be a minor correction downward when cold snap subsides)
Postpone the gas auction and wait for electric
Downside of waiting is that a successful gas auction will probably encourage more members to join, increasing the fee potential with greater electric volume