ICE to offer power clearing

Atlanta-based commodities market-place IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) and the Board of Trade Clearing Corporation (the Clearing Corporation) are to offer clearing services for the most actively traded over-the-counter US power products beginning at the end of July. The move follows similar OTC clearing initiatives launched by the New York Mercantile Exchange and broker GFI.

Like Nymex and GFI, ICE has decided to offer clearing as a means of combating counterparty risk – an increasingly important concern for the energy derivatives post-Enron.

"Structural changes in the energy market have created an immediate need for clearing services in this market," said David Goone, ICE senior vice-president for clearing services. "By working with the Clearing Corporation to expand our existing services we are providing market participants with additional credit enhancements and cross-margining opportunities for an expanding list of energy-related products.”

"We are pleased the OTC clearing services through Board of Trade Clearing Corporation include ICE's most actively traded power hubs. We are very interested in utilising the service and look forward to the financial integrity and certainty these clearing services will bring to the energymarket,” said Bruce Thompson, vice-president of Reliant Energy Wholesale Group.

ICE also said it will start to publish daily market price reports for North American natural gas and power. The price reports will include indicative forward-curve pricing for all North American gas and power products traded on ICE.