This in-depth seminar is for utility operations personnel, facility managers, energy buyers, corporate energy team members, energy salespersons and traders and back-office personnel, especially transportation, accounting, financial, legal and anyone else looking for ways to understand how to manage natural gas or electricity. Learn systematic and proven techniques for effective fuel planning, negotiating and management. This course will improve all aspects of energy procurement planning, negotiating, contracting, management, internal processes, documentation and justification, internal communications and supplier relationships for superior performance . View Past Seminar Attendees

What You Will Learn:

1. How to identify, coordinate and implement the essential elements of fuels management.
    
2. The essentials of how the natural gas and electric power industry operates, historical and current developments in and providing energy delivery and pricing options to end-users.
    
3. Understand Price Risk Management, pricing options and tools such as futures contracts, options, swaps and other derivatives to protect your company from price and delivery risk.
    
4. How to assess requirements over different planning horizons and conditions and use "Load Profiling" to optimize energy procurement and cost options.
    
5. The essential information for developing energy requirements and how to integrate into comprehensive fuel plans with proven documentation techniques.
    
6. Know the essential elements of Requirements Planning and Supply Planning and how to meet needs under changing demand requirements, price volatility, regulatory and market conditions.
    
7. The Essentials of Preparing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and how to Buy and Manage energy on an ongoing basis.

8. How to assess and compare energy services providers and the commodities and services they offer and to get what you want with effective negotiation tactics.
    
9. Know how to deal with Energy Marketers, determine their credibility and validity of offers and understand what they really can and cannot do for you.
    
10. How Energy Marketers view end-users and what they do "behind the scenes" to develop offers and deliver energy supplies.
     
11. What most end-users want from their suppliers and what they'll do to get what they want and why they can be very successful at it.
     
12. How to optimize energy procurement over the short term and long term.
13. How to build an energy management team, establish essential communications, document and monitor performance and managing an ongoing program.
     

Seminar Agenda

I.    Overview of the Energy Industry and Energy Management

• Key Gas and Electric Terms Units and Conversions
• Gas and Electric Industry Technical Overview
• Regulatory Structures, Responsibilities and Impacts
• Overview of Major FERC Initiatives and Orders
• The Players and The Value Chain Interaction
• Wholesale and Retail Suppliers
• Electronic and Physical Market Centers

II.    Assessing Energy Requirements

• Energy Management Overview
• Energy Management Planning Stages
• Total Energy Asset Management (TEAM)
• Process Organization - Internal Considerations
• Assessing the Demand Forecasting Function
• Developing and Understanding Load Forecasting
• Developing a Documented Process, Objectives and Plan

III.    Commodities Markets, Price and Price Risk

• Volatility in Gas and Electric Pricing
• Bulk Power Basics and Transactions
• Commodity Pricing and Regulated Rates
• Risk Assessment and Managing Risk
• Energy Pricing and Buying Strategies and Options
• How Marketers Process Deals Internally

IV.   Developing an Energy Management Plan

• The Impact of the Demand Forecasting Process
• Understanding Objectives Assessment
• Energy Supply Options and Energy Price Goals
• Transportation and Delivery Options
• Planning for Unforeseen Contingencies
• Recognizing and Planning for Regulated Impacts
• Planning a Monitoring Program and Building Flexibility

V.  Assessing Suppliers and Transporters

• Identifying Strength and Weaknesses of Suppliers
• Supply “Sourcing”  Versus Transportation Capability
• Assessing Competitive Transportation Routes
• Capacity Release, Firm, Interruptible and Other Options
• Assessing Services and Costs Versus Planning Objectives
• Risk versus Reward under Different Delivery Options
• The Essentials of Gas Transportation and Capacity
• The Essentials of Electric Power Delivery Services

VI. Establishing a Working Program

• Preparing the Request for Proposals (RFP)
• Steps in Preparing the RFP and Essential Parts
• Evaluating Proposals and Linkages to Plans
• The Suppliers’ Strengths and Weaknesses Matrix
• Timing, Critical Factors and Issues when Buying
• Best Value Factors – Non-Price, Services, Reliability, Etc.
• Negotiating with Suppliers – Knowing What Can Be Offered
• Getting What You Want, Not What You’re Offered
• Critical Contract Terms, Responsibilities and Accountability
• Contract Dangers and Getting What You Pay For
• Measurement and Accounting Issues

VII. Managing Daily Supply Functions

• Implementing the Fuel Management Plan
• Implementing the TEAM Approach
• Daily Responsibilities and Accountability
• Interfacing at Operational Levels
• Emergencies and Contingency Plans
• Establishing Critical Communication Lines
• Resolving Problems – Supplier, Utility, Pipeline, Internal
• Ongoing Buying Program and Managing Daily Needs

VIII. Fuel and Cost Monitoring

• Monitoring Contract Terms, Invoices and Billing Analysis
• Assessing Linkages to Corporate Strategic Plans and Objectives
• Reporting and Assessing Programs to Achieve Results
• How to Determine the Best Energy Management Team Design
• Optimizing Internal and Outsourced Expertise

Your Instructor

Greg Peters has over 20 years of energy industry consulting and management experience and is an expert in energy products and services marketing, and supply planning, procurement and energy management. Mr. Peters' consulting experience includes several years as Manager of Price Waterhouse's National Public Utilities Consulting Services and currently as President, Envision Energy Solutions Company. Envision provides gas, electric and fuel management consulting services to a wide range of industrial, commercial and municipal end-users. Previously, Mr. Peters has had fuel procurement, fuel management and planning responsibilities for Columbia Energy Services Corporation, Equitable Gas Company, and The Peoples Natural Gas Company.

Who Should Attend this Seminar?

Energy buyers, utiliy personnel, electric generators, liquids processors, marketers and industrials; energy and electric power executives; traders; marketing, sales, purchasing & risk management personnel; accountants; trading support staff; auditors; attorneys; government regulators; plant operators; engineers and corporate planners.

Prerequisites

This fundamental level group live seminar has no prerequisites. No advance preparation is required before the seminar. However it is recommended that attendees have a basic understanding of the natural gas industry and commonly used terms and concepts.

Why Choose PGS?

Since 1996, PGS seminars have been known for their clear explanations and in-depth content. Register for a PGS program today, and team up with the leader in electric power and energy education. Over 3,000 energy and financial professionals have already attended PGS's proven courses. View Past Seminar Attendees

Prices

Please call 412-494-0450 for pricing information.

CPE Credits

This group live seminar is eligible for 7.0 CPE credits. Be aware that state boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. As of January 1, 2002, sponsored learning activities are measured by program length, with one 50-minute period equal to one CPE credit. One-half CPE credit increments (equal to 25 minutes) are permitted after the first credit has been earned in a given learning activity. You may want to verify that the state board from which your participants will be receiving credit accept one-half credits.

PGS  Energy Training is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)  as a sponsor of continuing professional education  on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on  the acceptance of individual courses for CPE  credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors  may be addressed to the National Registry of  CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Web site: www.nasba.org. CPAs interested in attending any seminars  should contact our offices for details on CPE credits granted and any prerequisite requirements.