Finalists from 26 Countries Vie for 2014 Platts Global Energy Awards

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Energy companies from 26 countries have been selected as finalists for the Platts Global Energy Awards, an annual program recognizing exemplary industry leadership. The 2014 finalists, chosen from nearly 250 nominees from three dozen nominating countries and representing 6 continents, were announced today by program host Platts, a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals, metals and agriculture information.

Established in 1999 and often described as "the Oscars of the energy industry," the Platts Global Energy Awards highlight corporate and individual innovation, leadership and superior performance in 18 categories that span the entire energy complex.

"It's gratifying that in its 16^th year, the Awards program has attracted a record number of submissions and that not only is CEO of the Year hotly contested, but Corporate Social Responsibility is as well," said Larry Neal, president of Platts. "Energy stewardship and sustainability have been important themes throughout the program's history.  I look forward to honoring the winners in these and other categories later this year and I applaud all of the finalists for their accomplishments thus far."

Like a year ago, the 2014 nominations and finalists showcased continued growth in geographic representation. More than 40% of this year's nominations and finalists hail from outside the United States.    

"New to the program's industry leadership category this year is biofuels," said Murray Fisher, Platts senior manager of strategic media and head of the Platts Global Energy Awards program. "It's notable that it received the most nomination submissions of any leadership category, seeming to suggest an industry-wide tale of diversification and transformation may be afoot. There was increased interest in all of our industry leader categories –exploration & production, electricity generation, grid optimization and midstream - versus a year ago."

Competition for Lifetime Achievement has been narrowed to seven finalists, and a dozen are being considered for Rising Star Company.

Once the program's independent panel of judges  selects winners from among the finalists in each individual award category, it will select the Energy Company of the Year from the entire list of finalists.   Winners will be announced at the 2014 Platts Global Energy Awards black-tie dinner on December 11 in New York City.  For a fifth consecutive year, the gala will be emceed by CNBC News Anchor Amanda Drury.    

Preceding the Awards dinner will be the eighth annual Platts Global Energy Outlook Forum, a platform for exploration and debate of industry-critical issues by energy executives, government officials and academics. The Forum will feature a keynote speaker, panel discussion and lively deliberations. 

To view the full list of Awards categories and the 2014 Platts Global Energy Awards finalists visit this web address: (http://geaweb.platts.com/Finalists/Finalists2014).

For more information on the Awards, visit the Platts Global Energy Awards website (http://geaweb.platts.com).  At this link, find: Fast Facts on Platts Global Energy Awards.

Energy, financial and business executives may attend the Platts Global Energy Awards by registering at this link: http://bit.ly/2014GEARegistration. Accredited media may attend with advance registration at this press registration address.

Sponsors of the Awards program and evening activities include: GlobalView®, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, and Deloitte LLP. Sponsorship opportunities are available through Robert.Botelho@platts.com  at + 720-264-6618. 

About Platts: Founded in 1909, Platts is a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals, metals and agriculture 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 biofuels, carbon emissions, coal, electricity, oil, natural gas, metals, nuclear power, petrochemical, shipping and sugar markets. A division of McGraw Hill Financial (NYSE: MHFI), Platts is based in London with more than 1000 employees in more than 15 offices worldwide. Additional information is available at www.platts.com.

About McGraw Hill Financial: McGraw Hill Financial, a financial intelligence company, is a leader in credit ratings, benchmarks and analytics for the global capital and commodity markets. Iconic brands include: Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, S&P Capital IQ, S&P Dow Jones Indices, Platts, CRISIL, J.D. Power and McGraw Hill Construction. The Company has approximately 18,000 employees in 30 countries. Additional information is available at www.mhfi.com.

CONTACT
Asia: Kimitsu Yogachi: +65 6530 6596, kimi.yogachi@platts.com
Europe: Elizabeth Catalano: +44 207 176 6024, elizabeth.catalano@platts.com
Global & U.S.: Kathleen Tanzy: +1 212-904-2860, kathleen.tanzy@platts.com  

SOURCE Platts