Market Manipulation

As Agency Enforcement Efforts Mount, CFTC Prohibits Private Lawsuits Against RTOs/ISOs for Market Manipulation

Incidents of alleged fraud and market manipulation in the energy markets increasingly have received the attention of federal agency enforcement efforts, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Our recent post highlights FERC’s growing efforts to combat market manipulation. And on November 21, 2016, the CFTC released its … Continue reading →

Do Not Pass Go: FERC Administrative Proceedings Remain First Stop for Market Manipulation Claims under the Natural Gas Act

Fraud and energy market manipulation have remained priorities of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Office of Enforcement (OE) over the past several years. The agency has ramped up its investigative efforts, reporting that fourteen out of the nineteen investigations opened last year involved market manipulation and the OE had never had as many litigation proceedings in … Continue reading →

EIB Energy Highlights: Nat Gas Outpowers Coal, NC Renewables, CPP En Banc, Fed Energy Bill Awaits Conference & More

FERC – CFTC Interagency Surveillance and Data Analytics Working Group

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) recently announced the formation of an interagency Surveillance and Data Analytics Working Group as one of the next steps to further coordination of the agencies’ energy market surveillance and enforcement efforts as required by the Dodd-Frank Act.  The working group will coordinate information … Continue reading →

Will Congressional Pressure on the CFTC to Share Information With FERC Bear Fruit?

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) has identified ferreting out energy market manipulation as a priority in its enforcement efforts.  On January 2, 2014, FERC and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) signed two Memoranda of Understanding (“MOUs”) that address the agencies’ jurisdictional overlap and sharing of information related to the agencies’ market surveillance … Continue reading →

The CFTC and FERC Began the New Year with Steps toward Enforcement Coordination via MOUs on Jurisdiction and Information Sharing

Several months ago we discussed the lack of coordination between the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) regarding energy market enforcement activities.  See our previous post: Barriers to Cooperation between the CFTC and FERC Hinder Investigations into Energy Market Manipulation – A Legislative Fix May be on the Horizon.  … Continue reading →

Barriers to Cooperation between the CFTC and FERC Hinder Investigations into Energy Market Manipulation – A Legislative Fix May be on the Horizon

            The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) has initiated investigations into energy market manipulation in the last two years that have resulted in nearly $1 billion in penalties and profit disgorgements from companies and traders.  See our previous posts here, here, and  here.  Despite the significant enforcement efforts undertaken thus far, FERC Chairman Wellinghoff recently identified additional … Continue reading →

Global Investigations Into Oil Benchmark Price Manipulation

            In the last several weeks, the European Union’s investigation into potential manipulation of oil benchmark pricing has illuminated the global impact of activity in the energy markets and related policy development.  The EU investigation, headed by the European Commissioner for Competition, is looking into whether there has been coordinated and collusive manipulation of benchmark … Continue reading →

The Energy Markets Under a Microscope: Government Investigations into Market Manipulation

            The paths of the energy industry and probing government investigations are crossing more and more often, as regulators and legislators have made it a priority to ensure the integrity of energy markets.  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”), Office of Enforcement has made fraud and market manipulation one of its top four priorities, prompting … Continue reading →