NEW YORK, March 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Platts has re-launched Megawatt Daily, its flagship North American electricity publication, bolstering the newsletter's analytical content with data sets from BENTEK Energy that offer subscribers unparalleled access to and understanding of regional pricing and production costs. BENTEK, a leader in North American fundamental market analysis, is a unit of Platts.

"Our subscribers indicated a desire for deeper, more-analytical coverage of the electricity sector, as well as data and insights that would aid in decision-making," said Jim Simpson, general manager, Platts' Power Group. "With the new Megawatt Daily, we are giving them analysis steeped in data and the best of Platts' North American electricity news and pricing coverage, all combined in one publication."

The front page of Megawatt Daily now offers a snapshot of the national electric market, replete with top headlines, an analytic piece on a facet of the broader market, and a look at key pricing across the entire North American region. Inside, readers will find an array of new content, including:

    --  More than 200 daily on-peak and off-peak ISO and Platts prices, each
        with marginal heat rates based on Platts' gas pricing, plus prompt-month
        prices, on-peak and off-peak
    --  Exclusive five-day forecasts of ISO power demand by fuel type
    --  Comparative analysis of utility market strategies and how they meet load
    --  Impact of new generation and transmission on zonal and regional prices
    --  Exclusive coverage of policies and decisions of ISOs, FERC, CFTC, EPA
        and Congress and their potential market impact
    --  A Monday morning recap of the preceding week's most newsworthy stories.

"There is a tremendous amount of new value in the publication as it covers the electricity business in a holistic fashion, focusing on how the markets work," said Mike Wilczek, senior managing editor, power.

Megawatt Daily continues to be available by subscription as a PDF or online through Platts Market Center. For more information about Megawatt Daily or to take a trial subscription, visit the electricity section of Platts.com. Click here to read a sample issue.

About Platts: Founded in 1909, Platts is a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals and metals information and a premier source of benchmark prices for the physical and futures markets. Platts' news, pricing, analytics, commentary and conferences help customers make better-informed trading and business decisions and help the markets operate with greater transparency and efficiency. Customers in more than 150 countries benefit from Platts' coverage of the carbon emissions, coal, electricity, oil, natural gas, metals, nuclear power, petrochemical, and shipping markets. A division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), Platts is headquartered in New York with approximately 900 employees in more than 15 offices worldwide. Additional information is available at http://www.platts.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies: The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), a financial intelligence and education company, signed an agreement to sell its McGraw-Hill Education business to investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management, LLC in November 2012. Following the sale closing, expected in early 2013, the Company will be renamed McGraw Hill Financial (subject to shareholder approval) and will be a powerhouse in benchmarks, content and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. The Company's leading brands will include: Standard & Poor's, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, Crisil, J.D. Power and Associates, McGraw-Hill Construction and Aviation Week. The Company will have approximately 17,000 employees in more than 30 countries. Additional information is available at www.mcgraw-hill.com.

SOURCE Platts

SOURCE: Platts