Speaker: EPG – Radu Dudău

The energy world is at a watershed. The shale gas revolution has upset the traditional
geopolitical and commercial power relations in the global oil market, with the U.S. now closer to the role of a “swing producer” and the OPEC rendered much less effective.

Executive Course

Energy Policy: Geopolitics, Markets, Regulations

April 20-24, 2015

Location: PwC, Bucharest

301-311 Barbu Vãcãrescu Str, Bucharest

Course language: English

Introduction

The energy world is at a watershed. The shale gas revolution has upset the traditional geopolitical and commercial power relations in the global oil market, with the U.S. now closer to the role of a “swing producer” and the OPEC rendered much less effective. The renewable energy upsurge has posed a challenge to electricity market models, as the wholesale cost of renewable power generation keeps dwindling, whereas the network tariffs keep soaring. The nuclear power sector has suffered a shock at Fukushima in 2011, with effects in Germany through its decision to phase out its nuclear facilities by 2022. The oil price has plunged almost 60 percent the in six months since July 2014, dealing a blow to O&G companies worldwide, as well as to investment budgets across the entire energy industry.

Against this unsettling background, decision-makers – governmental and corporate alike – must deal with conflicting policy goals: decarbonization of the entire value chain (upstream, midstream, downstream), industrial competitiveness, liberalized markets, and energy security (both for supply and demand). It is also an era of international territorial conflict through and over energy resources, of manifold and bewildering technological promise, and of concern about global warming and energy scarcity.

The executive course Energy Policy: Geopolitics, Markets, Regulationsdiscusses these global challenges and outlines the opportunities therein. It focuses on European Union´s energy policies, as well as on Romania´s specific conditions: natural, strategic, geopolitical, economic, and regulatory. The approach relies on the distinct, though interrelated, perspectives of geopolitics, market trends, and regulatory frameworks. International energy politics, domestic energy governance, and technology options are constantly brought in as inherent factors.

Program

The course takes place in April 20-24. The lecturers are reputed experts specializing, respectively, in energy security, geopolitics, and economics; energy law, tax and regulation; and risk and strategic analysis.

Participants

The course is a higher-level program addressed to young and mid-career professionals, with at least two years of experience related to energy policy in either of the following: an energy company, a public institution (government, parliament, regulator etc.), a diplomatic mission, a think-tank or an academic research institution.

The executive aspect refers to the applied nature of the teaching activities, and to instruction through discussion and communication between participants with interests in energy topics, yet with diverse professional backgrounds and expertise.

Conditions

Successful graduation – acknowledged and attested through an EPG certificate – requires active attendance to at least four of the five lectures.

The course fee is EUR 250, payable in RON at the official exchange rate. The class will be no larger than 30 and no smaller than 20 participants.

As the expected audience is international, a good command of English language is prerequisite.

The registration deadline is April 14. Participants must submit short professional CVs in English.

Lecturers

Valeriu Binig

Valeriu Binig has joined EY Romania as a Partner in the Advisory Services practice, with focus on the Energy industry. In this role, Valeriu leads the firm´s efforts to expand market share, client portfolio and range of services.

Valeriu has 27 years of professional experience in the energy sector in various roles ranging from technical and academic ones. He has worked as power plant operation engineer, designer, researcher, lecturer, coordinator of Phare programs, EC Delegation Task Manager, top utility company manager, administrator and consultant in investment banking/financial advisory services in the sector. Covering such an extensive experience, he undertook an instrumental role in the transformative process that the local energy market experienced during the last two decades.

Valeriu Binig acted as an advisor while involved as deputy project manager in the privatization of the three energy complexes Turceni, Rovinari and Craiova, project leader in the privatization of the regional power distribution and supply companies Electrica Transilvania Nord, Electrica Transilvania Sud, Electrica Muntenia Nord, manager in the privatization of Distrigaz Sud, leader of the technical team in the first IPO of Transgaz, deputy project manager in attraction of investors for the CHEAP Tarnita-Lãpustesti project. He assisted in transactions involving wind power projects and solar PV projects and coordinated the development of strategic market studies in the field of electricity and natural gas.

Before joining EY, he held leading positions in other consultancy firms for over 6 years, and also a director position within an investment banking and investment fund management team for another 6 years. He is Co-Chairman of the Energy and Environment Comittee of AmCham Romania and had previously been Chairman of the Board of the Romanian Energy Efficiency Fund (FREE).

Dumitru Chisãlitã

Dumitru Chisãlitã has extensive work experience with Romanian companies and institutions, including ROMGAZ, TRANSGAZ, Ministry of Economy, Department of Energy, Transilvania University, Brasov and Sibiu University. He is former director of SNGN ROMGAZ SA. He is a technical expert and Oil & Gas consultant, as well as judicial Oil & Gas expert within the Romanian Ministry of Justice.

Radu Dudãu

Radu Dudãu is co-founder and director of EPG. He is Associate Professor of International Relations at Bucharest University. From 2006 to 2010 he was Deputy Director at the Romanian Diplomatic Institute (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). He graduated in Physics and Philosophy from the University of Iasi. He holds a Dr. Phil. degree in Philosophy (magna cum laude) from Konstanz University (Germany) and a PhD in Political Science (International Relations) (summa cum laude) from the National School of Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA, Bucharest). He was a Fulbright Fellow with the National Security Program at Harvard Kennedy School of Government (2011), a New Europe College Fellow at the Danish Institute of International Relations (Copenhagen, 2006) and an OSI/FCO-Chevening scholar at Oxford University (1999-2000). His main expertise focus is energy security and natural resources geopolitics.

Vasile Iuga

Vasile Iuga is the Managing Partner of PWC for South-Eastern Europe (SEE) and Country Managing Partner of PwC Romania. He is member of the Management Board of PWC Central and Eastern Europe. He leads the Financial Services group within PwC Romania and is a member of the PWC Financial Services coordinating group within CEE.

Vasile Iuga is one of the most experienced leaders of the Romanian business environment, being known for an excellent knowledge of local and international companies, gained during his involvement in hundreds of projects from all industries, but also in regional projects. His areas of expertise include audit in compliance with International Standards on auditing the financial statements, prepared in accordance with regulations of the International Accounting Standards and financial analysis.

He has a rich experience in financial reporting in compliance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). He is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA-UK), financial auditor, member of the Managing Council of the Chamber of Financial Auditors of Romania (CAFR), appraiser (ANEVAR certified), accounting expert in Romania, representative of the Body of Expert and Licensed Accountants of Romania (CECCAR), member of the Audit Committee of the Federation of European Accountants (FEE), founding member of the Romanian Auditors´ Foundation and a member of the board of Aspen Institute Romania.

Vasile Iuga holds a Degree in Aeronautics from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. He attended training sessions at Harvard Business School, London Business School, INSEAD and IMD Business School.

Delia Pachiu

Delia Pachiu is a partner in Pachiu & Associates and is head of the firm´s Energy Practice Group. She is experienced in the energy, natural resources, infrastructure and public procurement practice areas, and mainly focuses on the renewable energy sector and the oil and gas E&P industry.

She offers legal advice to investors acting on the Romanian energy market and provides legal support needed in relation to the development of energy related projects, supporting the clients during the entire process of planning, implementation and operation of such projects in Romania.

As coordinator of the energy department, she assists clients in matters related to the energy market, such as the performance of energy trading activities or legal assistance on regulatory aspects and applicable procedures.

Delia´s educational background includes a Master of International Business Law. Delia is fluent in Romanian, German and English and conversant in Italian.

Laurentiu Pachiu

Laurentiu Pachiu is the Managing Partner and founder of Pachiu & Associates and heads the Energy, PPP and Finance Practice Groups within the firm. Laurentiu has over twenty years of experience in providing legal advice with regards to domestic and cross-border transactions, regulatory compliance, energy and natural resources, concessions, project financing and banking, capital markets, tax and offshore structures, across a wide range of industries.

The energy practice initiated by Laurentiu Pachiu has been among the first legal practices of such kind established in the country, the firm founded by Laurentiu growing at the same fast pace at which the Romanian energy market evolved.

Laurentiu Pachiu provides legal advice with regard to the planning, implementation, development and operation of significant energy projects, advising clients on regulatory and licensing matters, the obtaining of oil and gas exploration permits, the development of land securitization strategies and also the negotiation and conclusion of contractual arrangements with service companies and Romanian authorities, including the signing of relevant concession licenses. Laurentiu has been leading the team that assisted one of the first energy supermajors entering Romania for the development of unconventional upstream projects and serves other important regional players and independent companies in promoting their oil and gas projects.

He is a member of the Associated European Energy Consultants and of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators. He brought contributions to several international comparative legal guides, focusing on the Romanian regulatory framework in the field of oil & gas, mining, as well as other sectors.

Laurentiu is a graduate of Bucharest University School of Law and of the Diplomatic Academy of the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.