GIC/Eesti Pank conference on Nordic/Baltic energy issues

Tallinn, August 21, 2008

The conference will be organized jointly by GIC, a Philadelphia-based U.S. think tank (http://www.interdependence.org/), Eesti Pank (Bank of Estonia) and Estonian Ministry of Economy and Communications.

The confearence will bring together policymakers and market participants from the region and the U.S. to discuss the policy challenges and market outlook.

  • One day event.

  •  Participation around 50.

  • Target group policy makers and industry in the region

09:15   Opening remarks

Keynotes

09:30   Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications “Energy policy challenges in the Nordic-Baltic region”

10:00   European Commission [tbc]. European changing energy policies.

10:30   Coffee

11:00   Panel 1

Nordic and Baltic energy balance and energy market networks

The first panel will provide an overview of Nordic energy market and market infrastructures.

  • Swedish Ministry of Enterprise and Energy [tbc]

  • Nordic Investment Bank [tbc]. “Energy markets and market infrastructure in the Nordic and Baltic region”

  • Timo Tyrväinen, Chief Economist, Aktia Sparbank Abp, Finland

  • Laszlo Varro, Chief Economist, Mol Group, “Russia and the European Energy Supply”

12:30   Lunch

14:00   Panel 2

Energy policies and alternative sources in the European and Nordic context – a market view

The second panel will discuss solutions to address energy risks in today’s volatile environment and key challenges in diversifying energy supplies.

  • Jason Schenker, McKinsey Group “Solutions to Mitigate Energy Risk.”

  • Martti Kätkä, Director, The Federation of Finnish Technology Industries

  • Christopher E. Jylkka, Senior Market Specialist, Edison Mission Group “An American Perspective on Wind Development”

  • Representative of Eesti Energia. Baltic energy supplies

15:30   Panel 3

Monetary policy and energy costs

How do energy policy and costs affect inflation and central bank decision making?

  • Academia

  • International Monetary Fund [tbc]. Global inflation and commodity prices.

  • Martin Bijsterbosch, Principal Economist, ECB

  • Financial market representative [tbc]. Energy commodities as an asset class.