JPMorgan settles electricity manipulation case for $410 million

The Federal Energy Regulatory has accused JPMorgan Chase of manipulating the energy market.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The bank's energy unit, JP Morgan Venture Energy Corporation, was accused of raising electricity rates in these markets between September 2010 and November 2012 through "manipulative bidding strategies," according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

JPMorgan (JPM, Fortune 500) will pay $124 million to California residents who overpaid for electricity. Customers in the Midwest will receive $1 million. The rest of the fine will be paid to the U.S. Treasury.

JPMorgan said it was pleased to have settled the matter

The bank neither admitted nor denied the violations, but said it would work with outside counsel to review its policies and practices in the power business.

Related: Barclays raising cash to fill $20 billion gap

The FERC alleged that the bank's bidding strategies in the power markets led to JPMorgan getting "tens of millions of dollars at rates far above market prices."

The strategies allegedly worked like this: In California, for example, the bank would bid to deliver electricity to a utility the next day at a low price of $30 per megawatt hour. When the next day came, JPMorgan would change its offer to a much higher price of $999 per megawatt hour, assuring the power did not get bought, according to the notice.

California ISO, the state's power-grid operator, would then have to compensate the bank for the cost of making the bid, under California's "make whole provision," which requires ratepayers to cover certain costs incurred by energy sellers.

Related: Are big banks driving up commodity prices?

JPMorgan allegedly employed a similar strategy in the Midwest.

FERC also recently fined British bank Barclays (BCS) and Deutsche Bank (DB) for other improprieties involving the sale of power.

-- CNNMoney's Melanie Hicken contributed to this report.

First Published: July 30, 2013: 9:26 AM ET

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

JPMorgan settles electricity manipulation case for $410 million

Dengan url

https://sepakgajah.blogspot.com/2013/07/jpmorgan-settles-electricity.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

JPMorgan settles electricity manipulation case for $410 million

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

JPMorgan settles electricity manipulation case for $410 million

sebagai sumbernya