May 2022 Volume 4

OPERATIONS & MANAGEMENT

Energy buyers need a more sophisticated approach to procure energy in this highly volatile and complex environment. At Transparent Energy, we’ve literally put in our Malcolm Gladwell-ian 10,000 hours to master energy procurement (to prove it, we’ve run more than 10,000 auctions) – our process, our technology, and our people are second to none, and that’s an advantage that translates into better pricing and risk management for our customers.

All of this to say, the new normal of energymarkets being dominated by higher volatility and complexity is forcing a reckoning: energy buyers are now looking closely at their existing brokers and consultants. When they don’t like what they see – a lack of process, a lack of sophistication, a lack of technology in the hands of true market experts – they are signing on with us.

How do you see the large-scale embrace of sustainability planning and renewable energy playing out across the industry? I see it as both an extension of our core energy-procurement services and an exciting growth driver for the company, as well as a great opportunity for businesses in the forging industry. I love it when we help our customers buy renewable energy certificates (RECs) and green their portfolios and operations, something we have been doing for years and which has gained a lot of momentum over the last year. But we’ve entered an era of utility-scale renewable projects that corporate energy buyers can participate in, large-scale efforts with true additionality via power purchase agreements (PPAs) and virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs). This is a very exciting opportunity for Transparent Energy and our customers. At our core, we are a company that provides full transparency into energy markets – renewable energy markets included. It’s just that we are able to do this now on larger-scope renewable deals with longer term lengths. But our value proposition remains the same: through our competitive process we help our clients get the most value from their energy purchases. Additionally, because we are in the market every day and working with so many energy suppliers, project developers, and customers, we are armed with so much

information and are often able to put great projects in front of potential buyers that would have never have had the opportunity to uncover them on their own. I don’t want to pretend I have a crystal ball, but I also see the overall higher, more volatile pricing environment in traditional energy benefitting renewables. And as technology, AI, and even blockchain improves, I see potentially dramatic cost reduction in renewable energy generation in the near future. No matter how that pans out, the health of the planet is at stake. Buying renewables at scale is the next frontier, and it’s happening right now. To see how Transparent Energy can put the power of online auctions and advanced risk mitigation to work for your business, whether you are buying natural gas, electricity, clean energy, or all of the above, please contact Jonathan Le, Transparent Energy, at jle@transparentedge.com.

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