ESS Connect 8.1 Provides Efficient Power Scheduling Communications with European Grid Operators

DALLAS, TX, November 7, 2011 - Allegro Development Corporation,  a leading provider of energy trading and risk management (ETRM) software, announced today the release of Allegro ESS Connect 8.1, a component of the Allegro 8 platform that supports efficient power scheduling communications for electric utilities with delivery obligations in the European power market.

With ESS Connect, Allegro provides a full set of energy trading and risk management capabilities plus European power market communications -- all in one system.  Allegro’s ESS Connect component communicates power schedules and messages for straight thru processing, providing a capability that is unique in the ETRM space.

Using homegrown systems or Excel spreadsheets to manage the complexities of grid data exchange can be a manual, time-consuming, and error-prone process. Utilities, merchant generation companies, retailers, power marketers and other organizations with balance or trade responsibilities in the European power market need an integrated software solution that streamlines the exchange of information, maintains necessary transaction detail and documentation, and ensures accuracy.

ESS Connect creates outbound and receives inbound messages in the industry standard European ETSO Scheduling System (ESS) format. The component offers configuration capabilities that allow users to customize and define the ESS message format in order to communicate with any grid operator. With ESS Connect, Allegro helps to ensure that Balance Responsible parties satisfy their power scheduling requirements. Among the benefits ESS Connect 8.1 offers Allegro customers:

• Communication with any electric grid with flexible software that allows users to customize and define ESS XML messages for transmittal to the ETSOs
• Eliminates manual, error-prone data capture with direct integration to TSO power position data
• Improves accuracy and speed when creating and submitting ESS schedule messages
• Eliminates manual effort by managing any TSO validation, including the acknowledgement and rejection messages from the Document level validation, Anomaly messages from the Time Series level, and the Confirmation messages at the Grid Security level.

About Allegro Development

Allegro is a global leader in energy trading & risk management solutions for power and gas utilities, refiners, producers, traders, and commodity consumers. With more than 27 years of deep industry expertise, Allegro’s enterprise platform drives profitability and efficiency across front, middle, and back offices, while managing the complex logistics associated with physical commodities.  Allegro provides customers with agile solutions to manage risk across natural gas, power, coal, crude oil, petroleum products, emissions, and other commodity markets, allowing decision makers to hedge and execute with confidence. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Allegro has offices in Calgary, Houston, London, Singapore, Sydney, and Zurich, along with a global network of partners.

For further information please contact Christie Lindstrom at media@allegrodev.com or +1.214.237.8117.