Platts Global Energy Awards honors energy companies from eight countries

The 18thannual Platts Global Energy Awards, often described as the “Oscars” of energy, honored energy companies from eight countries and three continents for their leadership, innovation and exemplary performance.

Attended by nearly 400 energy and finance executives hailing from 18 countries and emceed this year by CNBC Television Energy Correspondent Jackie DeAngelis, the event gave out 19 awards to companies and individuals at Cipriani Wall Street in lower Manhattan, New York in the US.

US-based Southern Company bagged two awards; one of which is “Energy Company of the Year”. The independent judges’ panel pointed to the company’s consistently compelling financial performance as well as its finalist status in every category in which it was nominated. The company also won in a sister category, “Strategic Deal of the Year “, for its US$12 billion merger with AGL Resources.

In addition to the categories it won in, Southern was a finalist for “CEO of the Year” and “Industry Leadership for Power”.  Describing the company as strategic,” “diverse” and “dynamic,” judges applauded the company and its CEO Tom Fanning, 35-year veteran of the firm, for a reputation of strong financial performance, as well as the company’s evolution to become one of the industry’s most diversified and admired electric and gas utilities.

“We congratulate Southern Company for its impressive dual win,” said Martin Fraenkel, president of Platts.  “In this low-price environment, it is no small feat for Southern Company to deliver ever-improving dividends to its shareholders and an ever-expanding footprint.  Southern, as all of tonight’s Global Energy Awards winners, and the finalists, alike, are to be applauded for their impressive contributions to the world’s energy arena.”

For “Rising Star-Individual,” judges chose Elizabeth Killinger, NRG Executive Vice President and President of NRG Retail and Reliant Energy, pointing to her consistent track record of service to both energy and non-energy industry, and lauding her customer-focused thinking, which helped contribute to her company’s early lead in successful smart home temperature and security controls.  Killinger was chosen from six other finalists in this increasingly competitive award category.

Rising star notables didn’t end there. Solar Reserve, a winner of 2012 and 2015 “Rising Star-Individual” and “Rising Star-Company” awards for its innovative work in the area of solar thermal technology with integrated energy storage, this year walked away with “Commercial Application of the Year” for the realization of that innovation. The judging panel lauded the company’s definitive commercialization of the technology, the envy of many of its peers.

“Thrives amidst challenge,” is how judges described Kelly Tomblin, chief executive officer of Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), who was named this year’s “CEO of the Year,” one of the more hotly contested award categories including 12 finalists from six countries.

With 20 years of experience in the energy industry, in both deregulated and vertically integrated markets in the US, the UK and Latin America, judges said Tomblin has earned a reputation for organizational transformation.  Tomblin took the helm of JPS in 2012, facing headwinds of stagnant growth, poor customer satisfaction and high electricity prices, and judges paid particular attention to her ability to turn the company around “very quickly in a difficult environment.”  Tomblin was the sole female among 12 finalists in the “CEO of the Year” category.

Two “Lifetime Achievement” accolades were given to His Excellency Abdalla Salem El-Badri, the longest-serving secretary general in the history of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and Harold Hamm, founder, chairman and CEO of Continental Resources, who led the charge to lift America’s 40-year-old ban on US crude oil exports.

Preceding the Awards program was the 10th annual Platts Global Energy Outlook Forum “Abundant Disruption & Radical Change,” which gathered energy and finance executives and government and academia representatives for debate and discussions of key energy sector challenges.

Abdalla Salem El-Badri and Harold Hamm were keynote speakers at the Forum, which was attended by approximately 200 energy industry executives.