The Dodd-Frank Act's Consequences for the Energy Industry

The stated purpose of Dodd-Frank is to reduce systemic risk, increase transparency of the financial markets, and promote market integrity. Most likely, Dodd-Frank will affect energy companies in connection with their energy marketing, hedging, and trading activities - in other words, in connection with energy "swaps." The consequences will range up and down a sliding scale depending on a particular firm's activities and the outcome of a federal rulemaking process still many months from completion.