Nominations Now Being Accepted for 2011 Platts Global Energy Awards

NEW YORK, June 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2011 Global Energy Awards which recognize corporate and individual excellence in more than a dozen performance categories, according to program host Platts, a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals and metals information. All nominations must be received by September 12, 2011.

Recognized as the energy industry's most renowned awards program and often described as "the Oscars of Energy," the Platts Global Energy Awards, are in their 13th year and routinely draw hundreds of nominations from energy and non-energy companies alike.

"As the awards program has matured, we've found that even non-traditional energy organizations, such as the U.S. Navy and Tesco, have been nominated and won due to their innovations in energy-saving technology, energy conservation initiatives and other factors," said Patsy Wurster, director of Platts Strategic Media and organizer of the Platts Global Energy Awards event. "Such cannot be ruled out again this year as the awards program continues to emphasize workable solutions in the arena of sustainable and 'green' energy."

To reflect evolutions in the energy industry, Platts periodically amends the scope or focus of its awards offerings. This year, Platts will recognize the company that best reflects outstanding innovation in refined products through its new Petrochemical and Blendstock Innovation Award. The Rising Star Award, traditionally bestowed to an up-and-coming standout among energy companies, will now be augmented to include a separate recognition for an individual in senior management who has demonstrated transformational leadership in true rising star fashion -- Rising Star Award - Individual.

In addition to these two new awards, Platts is refining its Green Energy Generator of the Year from an original focus on conservation initiatives to exemplary innovation in power generation with an eye to achieving low-to-zero carbon emissions. The Construction Project of the Year honor is expanded to include infrastructure, which was previously singled out as a separate award from construction.

Returning award categories include CEO of the Year, Industry Leadership Award, Power Company of the Year, Sustainable Technology Innovation of the Year, Engineering Project of the Year, Community Development Program of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Award, among others. As in the past, an independent panel of judges will select the Energy Company of the Year from a list of finalists from all dozen-plus categories.

Any company doing business in or in close association with the energy industry is eligible for nomination, which may be submitted by the individual energy companies themselves, their clients, their vendors and/or other industry associates. To submit a nomination, learn more about the award categories and see a full listing of past winners and photos, visit http://www.GlobalEnergyAwards.com.

Once all nominations have been received, finalists will be identified in each category and announced for recognition on September 28, 2011.

But the judges' ultimate decisions as to this year's winners of the Platts Global Energy Awards won't be unveiled until the annual black-tie dinner gala in New York City, which historically has attracted more than 500 industry executives and guests. The awards dinner, set for Thursday, December 1, 2011 at the Cipriani Wall Street, will be co-hosted by Platts and nine-time principal sponsor Capgemini, one of the world's foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services. Elster Solutions, LLC, a global leader in advanced metering technology and Smart Grid solutions, and SAIC, a scientific, engineering, and technology applications company, are returning for their fourth and third years, respectively as co-sponsors of the event.

Platts Global Energy Awards winners in 2010 included Gas Natural Fenosa's Rafael Villaseca, Avalon EcoPower's Peter Cartwright, Exelon Corporation's Elizabeth "Betsy" Moler, CNOOC Limited, NRG Energy, Inc., OMV Pakistan, and a host of others. Find Fast Facts on Platts Global Energy Awards on the newly re-designed website. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Vicki_Peterson@platts.com or +1-970-461-1090. For more information on Platts, visit http://www.platts.com.

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 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 more than 700 employees in more than a dozen offices worldwide.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies: Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global financial information and education company that helps professionals and students succeed in the Knowledge Economy. With leading brands including Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, Platts energy information services and J.D. Power and Associates, the Corporation has approximately 21,000 employees with more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2010 were $6.2 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

    
    CONTACT:
    Kathleen Tanzy
    +1-212-904-2860
    Kathleen_tanzy@platts.com