Doing Our Fair Share

Nobody in the heart of Canada’s oil boom appears to be worried about energy conservation. There were some great Christmas light displays. I’ve heard stories of people paying upwards of $300 to have their (outdoor) trees strung with lights.

Record power use in Alberta driven by holiday preparations

What matters in the North American Energy market is what happens in the Northeastern states. So far they are basking in freakishly warm weather. Natural gas prices rallied from $4.35 in late September to $8.92 mid-November. This is a pretty simple trade most years as we often have winters that require increased natural gas usage. Without a winter the trade loses its attractiveness and NYMEX Natural Gas Contracts recently closed at $6.26. If the next three months stay warm there could be some carnage in the natural gas sector.