PennWell Acquires Power Generation and Transmission Data Business

TULSA, Okla., Jan. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- PennWell Corporation, a diversified global media and information company, announced today that it has acquired TransmissionHub, GenerationHub, and related subscription and data businesses from Colorado-based Energy Central.  The acquisition adds new offerings to PennWell's growing information and mapping business for the electric power industry.  Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

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TransmissionHub and GenerationHub are online, interactive intelligence services for professionals who build, own, operate, regulate or invest in the electric power infrastructure in North America.  TransmissionHub was launched in October 2011 to track and provide daily and weekly newsletters, reports and analysis of U.S. transmission projects including detailed profiles of 658 projects comprising over 65,000 miles of new transmission lines.  GenerationHub was launched in March 2012 to create detailed information and daily and weekly reporting, statistics and data on 6,600 power plants and their operations in the U.S.  Both TransmissionHub and GenerationHub are organized in searchable and sortable databases that include articles, source documents and maps.

In addition to TransmissionHub and GenerationHub, the business includes the database and subscription service Fossil Fuels Tracker, which is updated daily to provide coal plant retirements, environment and emission control and compliance projects, and proposed fossil-fueled electric plants.  The weekly Coal Insider newsletter covers coal companies, supply and production issues, and coal-fired generation and environmental regulations.  As part of the purchase, PennWell also acquired the TransForum East, TransForum West and TransForum Texas regional conferences which offer networking and conference sessions covering a range of topics such as regulatory issues and the impact of national policy on the building and operations of power plants. 

Robert F. Biolchini, president and CEO of PennWell, said, "These electric power databases and intelligence services provide an exceptional fit with PennWell's growing suite of data and information products for the oil and gas and electric power industries.   TransmissionHub, GenerationHub, and Fossil Fuel Tracker provide robust data, reports and intelligence that will pair perfectly with our best-in-class geospatial data for electric power and renewable energy offered by our MAPSearch business and our innovative online and mobile mapping platform called ENvision."

Biolchini noted that the business will be managed by Edward Metz, general manager of MAPSearch, adding he was pleased Energy Central CEO Steve Drazga decided that this data and subscription business would have a good home with PennWell.  Seven employees will be joining PennWell.  They include Kent Knutson, director of data strategy and content; Rosy Lum, TransmissionHub chief analyst; Barry Cassell, GenerationHub and Coal Insider chief analyst; Wayne Barber, GenerationHub chief analyst; Carl Dombek, TransmissionHub senior editor; Corina Rivera-Lineras, TransmissionHub senior analyst, and Emily Rector, sales representative.  PennWell's MAPSearch and ENvision businesses are based both in Houston and at the Company's headquarters in Tulsa.

As part of MAPSearch, the TransmissionHub, GenerationHub, and Fossil Fuel Tracker will complement PennWell's publishing and conference and exhibition businesses for the global power industry.  PennWell owns and operates POWER-GEN International, the largest power generation trade show held annually in North America covering 300,000 net square feet for 1,200 exhibitors and 22,000 attendees.  POWER-GEN events are also held annually in Europe, Russia, India, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Brazil.  PennWell's DistribuTECH is the largest annual conference and exhibition in North America for the transmission and distribution segment of the industry, covering 125,000 net square feet for 380 exhibitors and 8,500 attendees, and has recently expanded to include new DistribuTECH conferences and exhibitions in Brazil and South Africa.  PennWell publishes business-to-business magazines Power Engineering, Power Engineering International, Electric Light & Power, POWER-GRID International, Utility Products, Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production, Hydro Review, Hydro Review Worldwide, Renewable Energy World, and REW.com.

About PennWell Corporation

Founded in 1910 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, PennWell Corporation is a privately held and highly diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following industries:  Oil and gas, electric power generation and delivery, hydropower, renewable energy, water and wastewater treatment, waste management, electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, optoelectronics, fiber-optics, aerospace and avionics, LEDs and lighting, fire and emergency services, public safety, and dental.  PennWell publishes over 130 print and online magazines and newsletters, conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents, and has an extensive offering of books, maps, websites, research and database services.  In addition to PennWell's headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Company has major offices in Nashua, New Hampshire; London, England; Houston, Texas; San Diego and Mountain View, California; Fairlawn, New Jersey; Moscow, Russia; and Hong Kong, China.

About Energy Central

Energy Central is a 17-year old media, publishing and knowledge services company serving the global power industry. Throughout its history, Energy Central has created and delivered industry-defining products, focused primarily on the North American power industry. Those product lines include Energy Central, reaching global power industry professionals; EnergyBiz, focused on power industry executives; Intelligent Utility, reaching smart grid professionals; and Utility Analytics Institute, reaching power industry analytics professionals. The company, headquartered in Aurora, CO, has a strong presence on-line, including the above brands and its job board at EnergyCentralJobs.com. Energy Central also publishes EnergyBiz and Intelligent Utility magazines, and produces summits, forums and conferences for power industry professionals.

Contact:   Jayne Gilsinger
918-832-9303; [email protected]

SOURCE PennWell Corporation