General Insurance Article - New LMA power group opens up to companies market

 The Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA) is to open up membership of its newly-formed power generation panel to the companies insurance market to ensure London’s power underwriters have the strongest possible voice.

 The decision means that at least five places on the panel will be filled by representatives of the companies market following an election being run by the LMA and the International Underwriting Association during December.

 It is estimated that London represents around 50% of the global insurance capacity for onshore power generation risks, divided evenly between Lloyd’s and the companies market.

 Onshore power was written as part of the property market but the emergence of specialised underwriting teams led to the introduction of a separate risk code by Lloyd’s in 2008. The LMA’s power generation business panel was formed in October 2013 in response to developments in the power market and following a review of the onshore energy market (including power generation) by Lloyd's.

 Patrick Davison, the LMA technical executive responsible for the panel, said: “As the panel’s objective is to give power underwriters a strong voice, the LMA’s members felt it was sensible to include their colleagues in the companies market. This way, the group will represent around half of all global capacity, which makes it a force to be reckoned with.”

 The group’s chair will be elected once the companies market members have joined.