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[waldron] 05/4/2011 09:45

UPDATE: French Government Seeks To Curb Household Energy Bills
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EDF (EU:EDF)
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Today : Tuesday 5 April 2011
PARIS (Dow Jones) -- The French government announced Tuesday a string of measures designed to lower the impact of higher energy costs on French households' purchasing power, with the cancellation of a planned natural gas tariff increase on July 1, as well as a deceleration in planned regulated electricity tariff increases.

It has also demanded contributions from France's energy group Electricite de France SA (EDF.FR), GDF Suez SA (GSZ.FR) and oil major Total SA (TOT).

In a statement, the French prime minister's office announced that regulated electricity tariffs should increase 1.7% by July 1, a lower rate than current inflation, to take into account costs related to the power network, and that increases should be capped at 2.9% overall for French households by June 30, 2012.

On top of the 1.7% increase, electricity tariffs will increase 1.2% by July 1, 2011, to take into account part of higher charges linked to the public support for renewable energies, known as Contribution au Service Public de l'Electricite or CSPE, with another 1.2% tariff increase on July 1, 2012, the government detailed, taking the total impact to about 4.1% after July 1, 2012.

In a working paper, state-controlled EDF had sought an annual 5.1% tariff increase by 2015 from the government but the government's spokesman and budget minister Francois Baroin Thursday insisted there wouldn't be such a hike. The plan announced Tuesday is designed to ensure that the impact of higher electricity rates on households is more gradual.

As for natural gas regulated tariffs, Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced that the planned increase by July 1 would be cancelled and requested finance minister Christine Lagarde and energy minister Eric Besson to design a new formula to calculate gas tariffs.

France's natural gas supplies are mostly based on long-term supply contracts from GDF Suez, the government noted. Yet even though these long term contracts guarantee a secure gas supply, French consumers should be able to benefit from a drop in gas spot prices, at a lower price than the prices in the long-term contracts, it said.

The announcement comes as no surprise, a Paris-based trader reacted, noting that "government officials have mentioned price freeze for several days."

"The decision is already priced in," the trader said.

Shares in GDF Suez closed Monday at EUR28.27.

Energy minister Eric Besson Sunday said the calculation formula wasn't suitable, as prices for most of the long-term supply contracts seemed "overestimated," echoing comments from France's energy regulator Commission de Regulation de l'Energie, or CRE.

Gas tariffs in France increased 5.2% on April 1, bringing the overall tariff increase to 60% since 2005, while the current calculation formula would have meant a 7.5% increase in July 1.

Gas spot prices have been weak over the past two years, due to an oversupplied market following the emergence of unconventional natural gas, mostly in the U.S, and weaker demand due to the economic downturn.

The government also announced EDF, GDF Suez and Total, as well as other energy suppliers, will contribute EUR250 million to a government-led EUR1.35 billion program designed to help the poorest households to reduce home energy costs.

It also said it was considering a special contribution from oil companies to address the recent hike in gasoline prices, which would allow to increase tax rebates for passenger vehicles professional use.

Details for that special contribution will be decided during a ministers' special meeting "in days to come," the prime minister's office said.

Total and EDF immediately declined to comment while no one at GDF Suez was immediately available for comment.

Shares in Total closed Monday at EUR43.38 and EDF at EUR29.55.

- By Geraldine Amiel, Dow Jones Newswires; [phone]; [e-mail]

[grupo guitarlumber] 02/4/2011 15:51

French Regulator Suggests New Gas Price Formula for GDF Suez
By Francois de Beaupuy - Apr 2, 2011 2:21 PM GMT+0200
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Business ExchangeBuzz up!DiggPrint Email .France's energy regulator suggested changing how it calculates natural gas prices supplied by GDF Suez SA in a bid to reduce the bill for the country's customers.

The regulator may use gas bought by Paris-based GDF in Europe in addition to gas imported into the country under long- term contract as part of the formula for French gas prices, Commission de Regulation de l'Energie said in a statement today. GDF and its customers could also split potential windfalls resulting from difference between the price set by the formula and actual supply costs, the regulator said.

These proposals, which require a new "public service" agreement between the government and GDF, "should allow end customers to benefit from part of the arbitrage gains of GDF Suez (GSZ), while keeping an incentive for GDF Suez to make such gains," the statement said.

GDF Suez, France's former gas monopoly, has been under pressure from the government and consumer groups to lower prices to better reflect a spot market awash with supply in part because of shale gas development in the U.S. Most of the utility's supply comes from long-term contracts that have risen along with oil prices.

GDF Suez got approval from the regulator to raise domestic natural gas prices for consumers by an average of 4.9 percent on April 1. That comes on top of increases for households heated by natural gas by an average of 9.7 percent a year ago and 4.7 percent on July 1.

The price increase for 6.1 million natural gas users was calculated using a formula that integrates spot-market pricing for about 9.5 percent of the total supply cost, according to the regulator.

GDF Suez is seeking to modify long-term supply contracts to integrate more spot-market pricing, executives said last month. These changes would be in addition to those obtained last year that integrated a spot-price component in long-term contracts with GDF Suez's biggest suppliers of about 10 percent, according to Vice-Chairman Jean-Francois Cirelli.

To contact the reporter on this story: Francois De Beaupuy in Paris at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Benedikt Kammel at [e-mail]

[grupo guitarlumber] 01/4/2011 18:35

GDF Suez : le RSI est supérieur à sa zone de neutralité.

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{"s" : "GSZ.NX,GSZ.PA","k" : "","o" : "","j" : ""} Le vendredi 1 avril 2011, à 18h 11
Sur les 5 derniers jours, le titre a peu évolué, gagnant 2.09%. Depuis le début de l'année, il est en hausse de 5.59%.

Du point de vue de l'analyse technique : le RSI est supérieur à sa zone de neutralité des 50. Le MACD est supérieur à sa ligne de signal et positif. La configuration est haussière à court terme. Enfin, le titre est inférieur à sa moyenne mobile 50 jours.
A noter que les volumes sont en baisse depuis quelques jours.

Graphiquement : les niveaux de résistances se situent sur : 29.1 puis 29.5. Tandis que les prochains supports sont sur : 27 puis 26.4.

Notre préférence : Tendance baissière sur GDF Suez (Euronext: GSZ.NX - actualité) (GSZ) mais reprise possible à court terme vers 29.1.

Le point d'invalidation de notre scénario est situé sur : 29.5.
Cours de référence : 28.4.

[grupo guitarlumber] 01/4/2011 16:36

Algeria: Medgaz Pipeline Commercial Operations Starts
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Today : Friday 1 April 2011
Commercial operations at the Medgaz natural gas pipeline linking Algeria to Spain started Friday, Algeria's official news agency said.

The new pipeline from Algeria--which is already Europe's third-largest gas supplier--is seen as a key route to diversifying import sources away from Russia.

Algerie Presse Service said Friday that commercial operations at the EUR900 million pipeline had started Friday.

GDF Suez (GSZ.FR) had confirmed earlier Friday that commercial operations were set to start Friday but declined to comment further when contacted subsequently.

Medgaz didn't return a request for comment and couldn't be reached Friday afternoon.

Algeria's energy minister, Youcef Yousfi, had previously said the pipeline's commercial start-up, which has been delayed for more than a year amid technical issues, was due in April.

The 1,050-kilometre route will carry 8 billion cubic meters a year, with a possible increase to 16 billion cubic meters in the medium term.

State oil giant Sonatrach owns 36% in the pipeline. Iberdrola SA (IBE.MC) and Cepsa (Espagne) each have 20% and Endesa SA (ELE.MC) and GDF Suez, 12% each.

-By Benoit Faucon and Geraldine Amiel, Dow Jones Newswires; [phone]; [e-mail]

[grupo guitarlumber] 01/4/2011 07:48

GDF SUEZ (4664T) : Poursuite du rebond technique

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Imprimer..Rubriques :Bourse.Le vendredi 1 avril 2011, à 8h 22
Tant que 27.5 est support, nous tablons sur une hausse vers 32.
Call adapté : strike : 30 - maturité : 02.09.20111 - bid/ask : 0.24 / 0.25 - delta : - Kilovar : 334 - Mnemo : 4664T

Pivot : 27.5

Scénario alternatif : Une chute sous 27.5 invaliderait notre scénario. Une poursuite de la baisse vers 26 serait alors probable.

Commentaire : Les indicateurs techniques sur le titre continuent de s'inscrire en territoire positif et ne montrent aucun signe de retournement. Les plus hauts 2011 à 30 euros constituent notre première cible.

Par la rédaction de L'Obsa, Le spécialiste des produits dérivés en bourse depuis 1989 (www.lobsa.com

[grupo guitarlumber] 30/3/2011 08:12

GDF Suez (GSZ) SA: The world's biggest utility by sales signed a five-year 4.5 billion-euro multi-currency credit line with a syndicate of 24 banks to refinance existing undrawn facilities. Shares gained 0.7 percent to 28.09 euros.

[grupo guitarlumber] 28/3/2011 10:19

French Regulator Approves 4.9% Increase In Gas Retail Price
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Gdf Suez (EU:GSZ)
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Today : Monday 28 March 2011
French energy regulator CRE has agreed to allow GDF Suez SA (GSZ.FR) to raise natural gas retail prices by an average 4.9% starting April 1, it said in a statement Monday.

The increase follows a rise in gas costs since July last year as well as an increase in the average rate of the dollar compared to the euro over the period, the regulator said.

-By Mimosa Spencer, Dow Jones Newswires; [phone]; [e-mail]

[waldron] 26/3/2011 07:47

GDF Suez : le RSI est autour de sa zone de neutralité.

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GSZ.NX 27.75 +0.9

GSZ.PA 27,77 -0,05


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{"s" : "GSZ.NX,GSZ.PA","k" : "a00,a50,b00,b60,c10,g00,h00,l10,p20,t10,v00","o" : "","j" : ""} Le vendredi 25 mars 2011, à 19h 09
Sur les 5 derniers jours, le titre s'est envolé de 5.55%. Depuis le début de l'année, il est en hausse de 3.43%.

Du point de vue de l'analyse technique : le RSI est supérieur à sa zone de neutralité des 50. Le MACD est supérieur à sa ligne de signal et négatif. Le MACD doit dépasser la ligne du zéro pour valider une poursuite de la hausse. Enfin, le titre est inférieur à sa moyenne mobile 50 jours.
A noter que les volumes sont en baisse depuis quelques jours.

Graphiquement : les niveaux de résistances se situent sur : 29.1 puis 29.7. Tandis que les prochains supports sont sur : 27.3 puis 26.9.

Notre préférence : Achat court terme sur GDF Suez (Euronext: GSZ.NX - actualité) (GSZ).

Le point d'invalidation de notre scénario est situé sur : 26.9.
Cours de référence : 27.8

[ariane] 23/3/2011 19:04

France Assessing Environmental Impact Of Shale Gas Operations-Minister
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Today : Wednesday 23 March 2011
Shale gas drilling in France won't be permitted until a complete assessment of potential environmental damage is carried out, French Environment Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet said Wednesday.

Speaking in parliament, the minister said people living in the areas where drilling is planned could be consulted, adding that shale gas operations in the U.S. raise questions over their environmental impact.

Earlier this month Prime Minister Francois Fillon said shale gas drilling in France would be suspended until the government receives two studies it has commissioned on the economic, social and environmental impact of these operations, which are due in June.

Several French and foreign companies, including power group GDF Suez SA (GSZ.FR), oil major Total SA (TOT), U.S.-based energy group Schuepbach Energy LLC and U.S.-based Toreador Resources Corp. (TRGL), have expressed an interest in developing the shale gas industry in the country, which is still in the early exploration stage.

However, the French government is facing an outcry from environmentalists and opposition from some local authorities.

-By Geraldine Amiel and Angeline Benoit, Dow Jones Newswires; [phone]; [e-mail]

[waldron] 19/3/2011 17:24

GDF Suez : le RSI est inférieur à sa zone de neutralité.

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{"s" : "GSZ.NX,GSZ.PA","k" : "","o" : "","j" : ""} Le vendredi 18 mars 2011, à 19h 16
Sur les 5 derniers jours, le titre a peu évolué, perdant 3.41%. Depuis le début de l'année, il est en baisse de 2.01%.

Du point de vue de l'analyse technique : le RSI est inférieur à 30. Cela peut indiquer un titre dans une forte tendance baissière ou plutôt dans un état survendu et que donc une reprise s'impose (surveiller les divergences). Le MACD est inférieur à sa ligne de signal et négatif. La configuration est baissière à court terme. Enfin, le titre est inférieur à sa moyenne mobile 50 jours.
A noter que les volumes sont en hausse depuis quelques jours.

Graphiquement : les niveaux de résistances se situent sur : 27 puis 27.4. Tandis que les prochains supports sont sur : 25.1 puis 24.6.

Notre préférence : Le titre GDF Suez (Euronext: GSZ.NX - actualité) (GSZ) est baissier tant que 27.4 est résistance.

Le point d'invalidation de notre scénario est situé sur : 27.4.
Cours de référence : 26.3.

[waldron] 19/3/2011 08:02

GDF Suez CEO: Company Sticking To Nuclear Strategy
By Adam Mitchell

Published March 16, 2011
| Dow Jones Newswires
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BARCELONA -(Dow Jones)- French power company GDF Suez SA (GSZ.FR) is sticking to its strategy of maintaining the share of nuclear power in its overall mix and its interest in developing new nuclear facilities, Chairman and Chief Executive Gerard Mestrallet said Wednesday.

But as an escalating nuclear accident in Japan continues to cast a new shadow over nuclear power, he kept his company's options open.

"We haven't taken any decision at this stage to change our strategy" in the wake of the developing nuclear accident in Japan, Mestrallet told reporters before beginning a speech on energy.

The company, he said, has an "energy mix strategy," producing its power with a fleet of generating assets "combining nuclear power stations, hydroelectric dams, renewables, natural gas power stations."

Following a recent tie-up with U.K.'s International Power PLC (IPR.LN), that level is 11%, Mestrallet said.

"Our strategy is to maintain in the long term the share of nuclear" in the company's overall portfolio, he said.

"At this stage, we haven't yet learned the lessons [from the Japanese accident] and we don't have a reason to change our strategy," Mestrallet added.

In Belgium, where the company runs seven nuclear plants, he said the government has said that a decision on whether to prolong their life spans will be taken after the stress tests, which the European Union has called for in response to the crisis in Japan.

In his speech Thursday, Mestrallet said his company still has its options open regarding the construction of new nuclear plants.

For example, GDF Suez, along with Spain's Iberdrola SA (IBE.MC) and the U.K.'s Scottish & Southern Energy PLC (SSE.LN) are working together to study the U.K. nuclear new-build market.

The three partners had agreed to make an investment decision in 2015, Mestrallet said in his speech, adding: "We still have a little bit of time."

Answering questions from the audience, Mestrallet said France has no reason to regret its investment in nuclear power, which provides most of the country's electricity.

"There is absolutely no cause to regret the considerable effort that France has made," he said, calling the country's long-standing policy of investing heavily in nuclear a "good choice."

Relatively cheap nuclear power has helped the country's economy, he said.

GDF Suez has offered its assistance to its peers in Japan as they seek to resolve the country's nuclear crisis, Mestrallet also noted.

A massive earthquake last Friday sparked technical failures in some nuclear power reactors there.

[grupo guitarlumber] 16/3/2011 21:12

UPDATE: GDF Suez CEO: No Decision To Change Nuclear Strategy
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Gdf Suez (EU:GSZ)
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Today : Wednesday 16 March 2011
French power company GDF Suez SA (GSZ.FR) is sticking to its strategy of maintaining the share of nuclear power in its overall strategy mix and its interest in developing new nuclear facilities, Chairman and Chief Executive Gerard Mestrallet said Wednesday.

"We haven't taken any decision at this stage to change our strategy" in the wake of the developing nuclear accident in Japan, Mestrallet told reporters before beginning a speech on energy.

The company, he said, has an "energy mix strategy," producing its power with a fleet of generating assets "combining nuclear power stations, hydroelectric dams, renewables, natural gas power stations."

Following a recent tie-up with U.K.'s International Power PLC (IPR.LN), that level is 11%, Mestrallet said.

"Our strategy is to maintain in the long term the share of nuclear" in the company's overall portfolio, he said.

"At this stage, we haven't yet learned the lessons [from the Japanese accident] and we don't have a reason to change our strategy," Mestrallet added.

In Belgium, where the company runs seven nuclear plants, the government has said that a decision on whether to prolong their lifes pans will be taken after the stress tests, which the European Union has called for.

GDF Suez has offered its assistance to its peers in Japan as they seek to resolve the country's nuclear crisis. A massive earthquake last Friday sparked technical failures in some nuclear power units there.

-By Adam Mitchell, Dow Jones Newswires; [phone]; [e-mail]

[grupo guitarlumber] 14/3/2011 13:02

France Extends Shale Gas, Oil Exploration Ban as 'Precaution'
By Tara Patel - Mar 14, 2011 8:25 AM GMT+0100 Tweet inShare.0More
Business ExchangeBuzz up!DiggPrint Email .France extended a ban on searching for natural gas and oil in shale rock until two reports on the environmental and economic effects of exploring for the unconventional resources are published in June.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon ordered that "no unconventional drilling take place" until the government and parliamentary reports are made public, according to a statement from March 11. France last month imposed a moratorium until at least mid-April and the extension rests on the "principal of precaution" because of environmental risk, he said.

Explorers for shale gas and oil in France had started drilling in some cases or were preparing to begin on permits awarded by the government in the Paris Basin area around the capital, as well as in the country's south. Environmental groups have said drilling risks contaminating the water supply because chemicals are used when blasting shale to extract resources, a method that has also met opposition in the U.S.

"Exploration work for shale oil and gas has sparked legitimate questions from populations living near the sites," the French prime minister said.

Toreador Resources Corp. (TRGL) planned this month to drill the first of three wells at the Chateau Thierry permit outside Paris to explore for shale oil, while Vermilion Energy Inc. was planning to fracture shale in three existing wells after exploration last year, the government and companies have said.

Total SA holds the southern French Montelimar permit for shale gas while GDF Suez (GSZ) SA has had talks with Schuepbach Energy LLC on taking a stake in two permits that company holds in southern France to explore for unconventional gas.

"We don't even know whether there is shale gas," Total Chief Executive Officer Christophe de Margerie said March 11. "We'll wait until everyone agrees on what should be done or not."

To contact the reporter on this story: Tara Patel in Paris at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tara Patel at [e-mail]
.

[waldron] 11/3/2011 20:37

GDF Suez : le RSI est inférieur à sa zone de neutralité.

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{"s" : "GSZ.NX,GSZ.PA","k" : "a00,a50,b00,b60,c10,g00,h00,l10,p20,t10,v00","o" : "","j" : ""} Le vendredi 11 mars 2011, à 18h 19
Sur les 5 derniers jours, le titre a peu évolué, perdant 2.45%. Depuis le début de l'année, il est en hausse de 1.45%.

Du point de vue de l'analyse technique : le RSI est inférieur à sa zone de neutralité des 50. Le MACD est inférieur à sa ligne de signal et négatif. La configuration est baissière à court terme. Enfin, le titre est inférieur à sa moyenne mobile 50 jours.
A noter que les volumes sont en hausse depuis quelques jours.

Graphiquement : les niveaux de résistances se situent sur : 27.9 puis 28.3. Tandis que les prochains supports sont sur : 25.8 puis 25.3.

Notre préférence : Le titre GDF Suez (Euronext: GSZ.NX - actualité) (GSZ) est baissier tant que 28.3 est résistance.

Le point d'invalidation de notre scénario est situé sur : 28.3.
Cours de référence : 27.2.

[waldron] 11/3/2011 10:10

Le vendredi 11 mars 2011, à 9h 39
(CercleFinance.com) - Aurel BGC n'a pas modifié son conseil sur l'action GDF Suez (Euronext: GSZ.NX - actualité) ce matin, et reste donc à l'achat avec un objectif de cours de 32 euros. Le bureau d'études se fait cependant l'écho d'un nouveau projet de taxe sur l'énergie nucléaire en Belgique, qui pour l'heure n'est pas compris dans ses prévisions.

[waldron] 11/3/2011 08:28

Le vendredi 11 mars 2011, à 8h 08
(CercleFinance.com) - HSBC (London: HSBA.L - actualité) dégrade sa recommandation sur GDF Suez (Euronext: GSZ.NX - actualité) de 'neutre ' à 'sous-pondérer' et abaisse son objectif de cours de 30 à 26 euros.

[waldron] 09/3/2011 22:17

GDF Suez (GSZ) SA: The world's biggest utility by sales raised 300 million euros from a sale of bonds due in 100 years, the longest-dated issue of senior, unsecured debt in the European currency by a corporate borrower. The shares fell 0.5 percent to 27.43 euros.

[waldron] 09/3/2011 08:17

U.K. May Boost Subsidy on 'Unexploited' Geothermal Power Plants
By Louise Downing - Mar 9, 2011 8:15 AM GMT+0100
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Business ExchangeBuzz up!DiggPrint Email .The U.K. may boost subsidies for geothermal energy, predicting that an industry that now has a single well nationwide can supply as much as 10 percent of consumer electricity needs.

Government officials have started reviewing aid programs for renewable energy plants, including those whose turbines draw heat from at least 2 miles below the Earth's surface, said Greg Barker, the U.K. energy and climate change minister.

Prime Minister David Cameron's administration, seeking 200 billion ($325 billion) in investment to replace aged power stations in the next decade, also has pledged to reduce fossil fuels emissions by a third and to double the portion of electricity coming from renewable sources by 2020. That's forcing officials to look beyond the wind, nuclear power and natural gas industries for low-emissions energy.

"Deep geothermal energy is an exciting renewable energy source with considerable unexploited potential," Barker said in an e-mailed response to questions made to his office.

GDF Suez (GSZ) operates the U.K.'s only deep geothermal well, providing heat to buildings in Southampton along the south coast. EGS Energy Ltd. and Geothermal Engineering Ltd. have won planning approval for generation projects in the region. Further incentives may be needed to draw bigger investors such as Israel's Ormat Industries (ORMT) Inc., Chevron Corp. (CVX) and Enel Green Power SpA (EGPW), which are tapping bigger geothermal projects in the U.S., Asia and Europe, executives said.

'Non-Existent'
"The geothermal industry in the U.K. is non-existent at the moment," said Padraig Hanly, chief executive GT Energy Ltd., an Irish project developer. "There is no sufficient financial support mechanism in place to drive it forward."

U.K. government officials are currently examining support levels for small and large-scale clean-energy generation under its feed-in-tariff and Renewable Obligation Certificate systems. The tariffs guarantee above-market prices for power from clean and low-carbon sources. The ROCs, as they're known, must be bought by utilities that don't generate enough renewable energy.

The government also is considering how to stimulate renewable-heat projects, which moderate temperatures in buildings. It may support geothermal technologies as part of that effort.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change is due to announce incentives for renewable heat next month. The first decisions from the review of subsidies under the feed-in-tariff may come by July, with new prices coming into force in April 2012 under a program announced Feb. 7. For subsidies under the ROC system, results may be published in the second half of the year, with new rates active from April 2013.

'Hotspot'

Barker said the southwest of the U.K. including Devon and Cornwall is a "hotspot" for geothermal energy, with the potential to supply 2 percent of the nation's electricity. His department estimates the technology eventually could generate 10 percent of power nationally. Hanly of GT Energy says it could supply 30 percent of heating needs.

Geothermal wells, which bore 2 miles or more into pools underground of steam or hot water as much as 300 degrees Celsius (572 degrees Fahrenheit), provide around-the-clock power. The supply, once tapped, is more reliable than intermittent wind and solar energy. Heat pumps work at more moderate temperatures closer to the surface to heat and cool buildings.

Bigger Markets
Worldwide, geothermal wells with a capacity to produce about 10.8 gigawatts of power are operating, and 13.2 gigawatts more are planned, Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates. The largest development pipelines are in the most developed markets, which are the U.S., the Philippines and Indonesia.

Britain has the expertise to drill wells, completing 191 for oil and gas companies last year according to the lobby group Oil & Gas U.K. Ltd. To date, geothermal developers have shied away from Britain because of uncertainty about planning rules and government incentives, said Nomura Code Securities Ltd., a London-based investment bank considering funds for the industry.

"These issues have been a key concern for investors when discussing potential financing," said Ken Rumph, equity research analyst at Nomura.

Developers want higher subsidies and insulation from drilling risks before they pour money into geothermal projects. Hanly said he's received indications from Barker, the government minister, that officials may be willing to increase the number of ROCs that can be earned by geothermal energy projects with the capacity to generate more than 5 megawatts.

More ROCs
"We spoke with Minister Greg Barker, and in my opinion he might give us four ROCs," which is double the current level, Hanly said. "What could be a way forward is to put a cap on the amount of capacity deployed to decrease financial exposure to the Department of Energy and Climate Change."

Doubling the subsidy level through ROCs would result in geothermal electricity earning about 195 pounds a megawatt-hour, up from the current 98 pounds. Tidal energy developers also are pushing for an increase in the number of ROCs they earn to five from two.

The energy department obtained 200 million pounds for funding low-carbon technologies from the Treasury in October. It indicated 60 million pounds will be spent on offshore wind port development, leaving 140 million pounds that has yet to be allocated.

In the past two years, the government has invested 5 million pounds in the industry. It slashed grant funding from its Deep Geothermal Challenge Fund to 1.1 million pounds from 2 million pounds for 2010. Marine energy by comparison received 54.6 million pounds in the past 18 months. A single geothermal well costs about 10 million pounds, according to Ryan Law, chief executive of Geothermal Engineering.

Daldrup & Soehne AG (4DS), a German drilling company, is seeking at least 300 euros ($420) a megawatt-hour to prospect for geothermal electricity in Britain.

"If there is a friendly setting of industrial partners and of the government we will be keen to invest in the U.K.," said Dietmar Brockhaus, a spokesman from Daldrup.

To contact the reporter responsible for this story: Louise Downing in London at [e-mail]

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg in London at [e-mail]
.

[grupo guitarlumber] 04/3/2011 12:00

Le vendredi 4 mars 2011, à 11h 35
(CercleFinance.com) - Aurel BGC sort l'action GDF Suez (Euronext: GSZ.NX - actualité) de sa liste Top 10 et réduit son objectif de cours de 33 à 32 euros, mais réaffirme son opinion 'acheter', au lendemain des résultats annuels du groupe énergétique