Energy Data Analysis

Catalog description

This course emphasizes the analysis of different forms of quantitative data in energy markets, energy production, demand, and supply. The course introduces various interpretive analytic approaches, explores their uses, and guides students in applying them to energy data. The danger of using quantitative methods lies in the lack of fundamental understanding of the justification for the use of a procedure, how to use it correctly, and how to properly interpret results. This course addresses these pitfalls. The course covers the process of extracting meaning from data to support evaluation and decision making by using modern spreadsheet technology such as Microsoft Excel. The class explores data sets from Thomson Reuters and LIM and covers their key technical charting tools, employs statistical thinking to provide understanding of the variation in data, and draws insights into relationships that may exist among underlying factors. The course also covers the basics of cash flow analysis and introduces the elements of financial data interpretation.