NEW YORK, September 10 /PRNewswire/ --

Platts, a leading global provider of energy and metals information and a
division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), today announced that the
Platts Lecture Series will launch on November 29, 2007, with a presentation
by Gene Sperling. Sperling, who is a former White House National Economic
Advisor and former Director of the National Economic Council, will address
the implications of climate change for the global energy industry in a
lecture entitled "Climate, Energy and the Climate for Energy."

The Platts Lecture will take place at Digital Sandbox, located at 55
Broad Street in New York, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will include
presentations, lunch and roundtable discussions. The event is expected to
draw nearly 200 attendees, including senior executives from oil, gas, coal
and electric power companies and the financial community.

"Climate change is not just a real-world threat to our environment, it is
also now a major force in politics and the impetus behind an entire new
commercial industry," said Platts President Victoria Chu Pao. "Platts is
honored to welcome Gene Sperling, who was praised as the 'MVP of the economic
team' by President Clinton, to bring an economic and political perspective to
the discussion of global climate change."

The Platts Lecture series aspires to raise the level of global energy
industry debate, creating the definitive forum for the examination of serious
long-term issues facing the world's energy businesses and policy-makers. R.W.
Beck, a leading provider of business and technical consulting, is principal
sponsor of this year's inaugural Platts Lecture. Additional panel
participants will include globally renowned industry leaders, politicians and
academics who excel in thought leadership and innovation. Lectures will be
held annually in association with Platts Global Energy Awards in New York
City.

The Platts Lecture "Climate, Energy and the Climate for Energy" will be
held on the same day as the ninth annual Platts Global Energy Awards Gala.
Each year, the Platts Global Energy Awards event attracts more than 500
senior energy executives from around the world, who gather to attend a gala
dinner and awards ceremony. The event, which recognizes global energy company
innovation, leadership, and superior performance in over a dozen categories,
will this year feature the presentation of a new award: Green Energy
Initiative of the Year. More information is available at
http://www.globalenergyawards.com.

For sponsorship opportunity and details, contact Vicki Peterson at
Vicki_peterson@platts.com or +1-970-461-1090. To attend, register at the
following address: http://www.platts.com/GEAWeb/resources/jsp/lecture.jsp.
For additional event information: Contact Patsy Wurster at
patsy_wurster@platts.com or +1-720-548-5583.

About R.W. Beck:

R. W. Beck, Inc. (rwbeck.com) is a technically based business consulting
firm providing engineering, economic, financial and planning solutions for
the energy, water and solid waste industries. Integrating business and
financial acumen with technical and engineering expertise, R. W. Beck works
as trusted advisors providing insights that positively impact municipal
utilities, public and private sector agencies, the financial community and
other industry partners. Founded 65 years ago, R. W. Beck has more than 550
employees with 27 offices in the U.S. and one in Singapore.

About Platts:

Platts, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading
global provider of energy and metals information. With nearly a century of
business experience, Platts serves customers across more than 150 countries.
From 14 offices worldwide, Platts serves the oil, natural gas, electricity,
emissions, nuclear power, coal, petrochemical and metals markets. Platts'
real time news, pricing, analytical services, and conferences help markets
operate with transparency and efficiency. Traders, risk managers, analysts,
and industry leaders depend upon Platts to help them make better trading and
investment decisions. Additional information is available at
http://www.platts.com.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading
global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial
services, education and business information markets through leading brands
such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power
and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries.
Sales in 2006 were US$6.3 billion. Additional information is available at
http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

Web site: http://www.platts.com
              http://www.mcgraw-hill.com
              http://www.rwbeck.com