Redefining Energy
The podcast with Laurent Segalen and Gerard Reid on the energy system behind the transition and the power behind AI. 250+ episodes since 2019.
Latest · Episode 251 · 19 October 2026
Fission Impossible: the SMR Gamble
36 min · with Laurent Segalen
Last year, the nuclear industry experienced something close to a gold rush. SMRs — Small Modular Reactors — became the hottest story in energy. Private capital poured in, valuations exploded, and the industry produced an impressive collection of truly bombastic promises. The backdrop is undeniably powerful: electrification is accelerating, geopolitics are reshaping energy markets, and the world needs reliable, 24/7 clean power. Nuclear has rarely enjoyed such formidable tailwinds.
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244 episodes since 2019
202642
Last year, the nuclear industry experienced something close to a gold rush. SMRs — Small Modular Reactors — became the hottest story in energy. Private capital poured in, valuations exploded, and the industry produced an impressive collection of truly bombastic promises. The backdrop is undeniably powerful:…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe current datacenter buildout is the biggest GDP bet in America since the railroads 150 years ago. We have never seen a frenzy quite like this. The system is running on overdrive—and the cracks are starting to show. While Anthropic and OpenAI announce dizzying financing numbers, measured in the trillions, the…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeThe global market for Virtual Power Plants is assessed around 100GW (+/- 20GW). It is a 7bnUSD expected to grow at a CAGR above 20% in the next 5 years to reach 40bnUSD within a decade. VPP are a digitally coordinated flexible network of distributed resources: cheaper than central stations. They manage behind the…
Open on SpreakerEnergyJoseph J. Romm (1960–2026) was an MIT-trained physicist who became one of the most prominent voices in the U.S. climate movement after serving as Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy in the 1990s. He founded the Climate Progress blog, authored ten…
Open on SpreakerEnergyIn our series: How AI is revolutionising Energy, Laurent and Gerard dive deep into the intricate corner of Energy Management system for large industrial clusters. You would believe that legacy providers such as Siemens, Schneider Electric or Hitachi would provide such solutions. They are not. Indeed, they provide…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeThere is simply too much greenwashing happening. Environmental reporting has become a meaningless bureaucracy feeding a fictional reality through glossy reports that nobody reads anymore. But things are changing; the impact of climate change (heatwaves, floods) is hitting back at governments trying to ignore it. Some…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeWhere Are BESS Making Money? Gerard and Laurent had the pleasure of welcoming Ed Porter Director Europe at Modo Energy for an insightful discussion on battery profitability and the evolving economics of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Modo Energy is a fast-growing data analytics and market intelligence platform…
Open on SpreakerStorageThere is no shortage of discussion about the role of AI in the energy transition. Yet while many talk about the future of intelligent grids, only a handful of industry leaders are delivering solutions at scale. One of them is Alberto Méndez Rebollo—an executive, investor, and entrepreneur dedicated to accelerating the…
Open on SpreakerGridRecorded at the SolarPower Summit in Brussels this conversation between Laurent Segalen and Jonathan Gifford examines why batteries have become one of the fastest growing and most strategically important technologies shaping the global energy transition. Jonathan Gifford is the co-founder of Climate Copy and a…
Open on SpreakerStorageMichael Barnard welcomes Cornelis Plet, CTO of Grid Systems Integration at GE Vernova, about the technologies reshaping modern power systems and the practical realities of building an electrified future. High-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission, once a specialist solution for narrow use cases, is now becoming a…
Open on SpreakerGridIn March 2026, Laurent was invited by Jan Rosenow at Oriel College, Oxford, for a public debate on the energy transition. Held in the College's historic library, the discussion brought together contrasting perspectives on one of today's defining challenges. Jan Rosenow, Professor of Energy and Climate Policy, is…
Open on SpreakerPolicyDuring Intersolar (The Smart E), Gerard sat down with Dr Chuan Lu, CEO Astronergy and Director of Chint Group to discuss, from the inside the Chinese Solar revolution. 2026 was Dr Lu and Chint 15th participation to that massive European Exhibit that epitomise the growth of renewables. 18 halls the size of a football…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLaurent and Gerard set out to explore one of the biggest ideas emerging alongside the excitement around the SpaceX IPO: datacenters in space . To refuel those satellites emerged the concept of an orbital grid where beams are directed to provide electricity to space crafts, like a gas station in space. It may sound…
Open on SpreakerEnergyIn June 2026, Gerard and Laurent recorded a live episode at DLA Piper ’s Charging Up Capital 2026 Global Energy and Digital Investments Forum with Rowan Parkhouse , Managing Director at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). CIP has emerged as one of the world's leading specialist energy transition investors,…
Open on SpreakerEnergyGerard and Laurent first welcomed David Scaysbrook to the podcast in Episode 66, back in January 2022, for a conversation about the future of 24/7 power. Four years later, it felt like the right moment to reconnect and take stock of how profoundly the market has evolved. Since then, Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeIn May 2026, our co-host Laurent Segalen had the privilege of chairing a high-profile panel hosted by SolarPower Europe at its annual Solar Power Summit in Brussels, one of the leading gatherings for the European solar and energy storage sectors. In this episode, we bring you highlights from the hour-long…
Open on SpreakerStorageGerard and Laurent welcome Michel Boutouil, co-founder and CEO of Polarise, a leading European AI infrastructure provider and NVIDIA Cloud Partner based in Berlin. After discussing about what happens outside of a datacenter, it is time to dive inside one. Polarise is one of the few genuinely European NeoCloud…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeAt the Eurelectric Power Summit 2026 in Helsinki, Laurent had the opportunity to sit down with Catherine MacGregor, CEO of ENGIE and Vice President of Eurelectric, for a wide-ranging discussion on the key issues shaping Europe's energy future. We began with the themes at the heart of Eurelectric’s agenda this year:…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have made significant progress in recent years. Yet they remain largely top-down institutions shaped by policy priorities. When trillions of dollars in investment decisions are at stake, investors and operators increasingly…
Open on SpreakerPolicyGerard and Laurent have the pleasure of welcoming Fintan Slye, CEO of NESO — Great Britain’s National Energy System Operator. In a lively and wide-ranging discussion, we explored NESO’s governance and its critical role across the British energy system: from real-time system operation — balancing supply and demand…
Open on SpreakerGridThe global auto industry is splitting into two very different worlds — what legendary auto expert Michael Dunne calls “a tale of two countries.” Dunne, CEO of Dunne Insights LLC , has spent decades at the centre of the industry, including leadership roles as President of General Motors Indonesia and Managing Director…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe BESS market is growing at a phenomenal pace. You would think battery management is becoming easier. The reality? It is becoming increasingly complex. Between data risks, a growing number of suppliers, vertically disintegrated component chains, and constantly evolving software stacks, investors can quickly lose…
Open on SpreakerStorageWhere is Climate Tech heading? Certainly not dead — but constantly reinventing itself. So much so that you begin to wonder whether the label itself has outlived its original meaning. Laurent and Gerard welcome Kim Zou, co-founder and CEO of Sightline Climate , the data and research platform mapping the climate-tech…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe power system is aging and poorly equipped to handle the rapid, large-scale shift toward renewables. According to Philipp Schröder, CEO of 1KOMMA5°, the real solutions lie “behind the meter.” Gerard and Laurent sit down with Schröder to unpack what it will take to unlock the so-called “Behind the Meter” revolution.…
Open on SpreakerEnergyGerard and Laurent welcome Tinne Van der Straeten, CEO of WindEurope—the leading voice of the wind industry in Europe, representing more than 600 members across the entire value chain. Tinne brings a distinctive perspective to the discussion. As Belgium’s Minister for Energy during the 2022 Russian invasion of…
Open on SpreakerGridEmber released its 2026 Global Electricity Review (GER26) last week—an extraordinary report showing that 100% of new global electricity generation has been met by renewables . At the same time, the decade’s “twin energy shocks” (Russia in 2022 and Hormuz in 2026) are accelerating existing trends. What do the latest…
Open on SpreakerEnergyIn episode 219, we analysed the relationship between hyperscalers and US utilities from the hyperscaler perspective. To complete the picture, we revisit the debate from the utility’s point of view. Gerard and Laurent welcome Rajiv Bazaj, VP of Solutions Sales at Constellation, to understand how utilities approach this…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeLaurent and Gerard sit down with Paul O’Donnell, Partner at SchrodersGreencoat, a fund manager that has invested more than €13 billion and controls over 400 renewable energy assets across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Paul has spent 17 years at Greencoat and became Partner in 2022, following Schroders’ acquisition…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeGerard is invited by Ana Conde from PVcase to make the case for solar paired with storage as the economic foundation of the future energy system. We are in the midst of a technological revolution driven by electrification and AI. But building the energy system that can power this shift requires more than adding new…
Open on SpreakerStorageLaurent and Gerard speak with Dr. Michal Meidan, Head of China Energy Research at the China Energy Research Programme at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, about the profound transformation reshaping China’s energy system. At the heart of the discussion is the country’s pivot from “molecules” to “electrons” — a…
Open on SpreakerEnergyGerard and Laurent host Ira Joseph, a leading expert on gas and LNG markets at the Columbia Center on Global Energy, to explore how the Middle East conflict is reshaping the industry. In normal times, LNG supply is led by Qatar, the U.S., and Australia, with prices anchored to benchmarks like Henry Hub, TTF, and JKM.…
Open on SpreakerEnergySix years after her last appearance on the podcast (Episode 28, 15 June 2020), Natasha Luther-Jones returns to join Laurent and Gerard for a lively catch-up on how both her career and the energy sector have evolved. What began with her being dubbed the “Queen of PPA” has expanded into a far broader role — prompting…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWhile Gerard is fixing his knee, Laurent invites Chris Seiple, Vice Chairman of WoodMac Power & Renewables group, to try to make sense of the scale of the coming power demand surge and the strain it is placing on today’s US market structures. AI-driven datacenter growth is pushing the US power system into uncharted…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeLast month, Gerard Reid joined Shayle Kann , Managing Partner at Energy Impact Partners , for a world class and fast-moving conversation on the state and future of Climate Tech. The discussion was organised by Carbon Equity and led by its co-founder Liza Rubinstein Malamud. Originally it featured a third guest, Will…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLithium has doubled in three months. Copper is printing record highs. Silver went vertical—then collapsed. The move was fast. The reversals were faster. Volatility isn’t elevated. It’s systemic. But this isn’t just another commodity cycle. These metals sit at the core of the energy transition. They’re embedded in…
Open on SpreakerStorageClean Energy equities have comfortably outperformed the major indices in 2025. Laurent and Gerard are joined by friend of the show Shanu Mathew, an equity portfolio manager everyone in the sector knows to unpack what’s really driving this performance. We begin by putting recent returns into a longer-term context — and…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLuca Pedretti, Co-Founder, Pexapark, returns to discuss how volatility, market design, and new contract structures are transforming power markets and renewable economics. What begins with PPA pricing quickly evolves into a broader conversation about where value is now created in the clean energy system. We start with…
Open on SpreakerEnergyResilience is the buzzword of the moment—from Gerard’s personal resilience on display in Davos last week to the critical issue of grid resilience. The great Doug Houseman draws a useful distinction between reliability and resilience. “Reliability is about how well you keep the lights on, while resilience is about how…
Open on SpreakerGridThe infrastructure fund industry has become one of the most powerful engines behind the rise of renewables and datacenters. With Zak Bentley, Americas Editor, Infrastructure Investor (part of the PEI Group), Laurent and Gerard cut through the noise to deliver a clear-eyed view of where the infrastructure market really…
Open on SpreakerEnergyHeat pumps sit at the heart of Europe’s strategy to cut emissions and reduce dependence on imported gas. Under the EU’s REPowerEU plan, the bloc is targeting 60 million heat pumps by 2030. By the end of 2025, almost 30 million units were already installed — progress, but still only halfway to the goal. Gerard and…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLaurent and Gerard sit down with Jo-Jo Hubbard , CEO of Electron , to explore why the centre of gravity in the energy transition is shifting decisively toward the distribution grid. Jo-Jo explains why the “last mile” is becoming the true engine of system flexibility, how demand at the edge must become a core resource,…
Open on SpreakerGridHappy New Year energy nerds As tradition demands (and lawyers insist), the first episode of the year is the annual ritual where Gerard, Laurent, and Michael boldly predict the future of the energy transition… and then publicly roast themselves for last year’s bad calls. Before unleashing our 2026 Predictions, we do a…
Open on SpreakerPolicy
202545
For our final episode of the year, Laurent jumped onto the Wolfe Power podcast, where he and host Alex Wolfe took a no-nonsense tour through the big energy moments that shaped 2025. Deals of the Year: The spectacular offshore wind meltdown in the US — Orsted’s year of pain — contrasted with the blazing global boom in…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWill artificial intelligence reshape the power grid, or will the inertia and complexity of today’s infrastructure slow progress—or even redefine how large language models, chips, and datacenters are designed and located? To meet the exponential rise in energy demand, parts of the industry have taken shortcuts—rapidly…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeGerard is on stage with Adele Zhao - Trina Solar and Thomas Raffeiner- The Mobility House at the Smarter E Conference. In a conversation hosted by Jonathan Gifford, they discuss about the future for the intersection of e-mobility and renewable energy. The conversation has been released as an Episode of “Powering…
Open on SpreakerEnergyFor much of the past two decades, renewable energy investment was viewed as a core infrastructure play—favoured by funds and long-term capital seeking predictable, government-backed cash flows. Yet the gradual phase-out of subsidies and the increasing exposure of renewables to wholesale power price volatility have…
Open on SpreakerEnergyRunning a power market isn’t just about generating electricity—it’s about making sure every kilowatt is accounted for. Someone has to calculate who owes what, make sure the rules are fair, and keep the system balanced in real time. Think of it as being an accountant, a banker, and a referee—all rolled into one. In the…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLaurent sits down with Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewable Alliance, for a live conversation from COP30 in Belém, Brazil. They explore how COP30 is structured, the role of the Global Renewable Alliance, and the dynamics among participants. The 800-pound gorilla in the room—the United States—hasn’t derailed the…
Open on SpreakerEnergySolar energy has experienced explosive growth over the past five years — doubling in capacity outside of China and quadrupling within China. But with this rapid expansion come new concerns: Are we scaling too quickly? And is the proliferation of solar now starting to strain power grids, creating more problems than…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLaurent and Gerard have an explosive conversation with Bryan Long, Executive Director in JPMorgan’s Commodities Group. They explore why U.S. energy market signals are failing to support new capacity investments, despite soaring demand (especially from datacenters). Key issues include misaligned pricing, liquidity…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWe are in the middle of a battery boom, for EVs and even more for BESS. What's really happening in the electric vehicle (EV) market? Is China dominating the field, or are serious alternatives emerging? What roles are Europe, the U.S., and other global regions playing? Which chemistries are winning out, and how are…
Open on SpreakerStorageFor our 200th episode, we had the pleasure and privilege of speaking with Nat Bullard, one of the sharpest minds in the energy world. A leading analyst in climate and energy, Nat is known for his clear insights on clean energy, decarbonization, and the global energy transition. Formerly Chief Content Officer at…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeThe oil and gas industry is clinging to the narrative that we're entering a "Golden Age of Gas" — especially when it comes to LNG. Riding this assumption, companies have been pouring in investments at an aggressive pace, with plans to double LNG export capacity by the end of the decade. US LNG FIDs are breaking all…
Open on SpreakerEnergyGermany is experiencing a battery blitz. The market is expected to triple from 2GW to 6GW in less than two years. To give a bit of context, Zach Williams from Modo Energy, gives us the big picture and fundamentals of the German battery market. Legacy developers have not yet been able to catch that wave, but newcomers…
Open on SpreakerStorageWith Gerard away, Laurent invited another Irishman, Killian Daly, to dive into a technical—but critically important—topic: carbon accounting, power procurement, the GHG Protocol (v3), and the push for 24/7 green energy. For as long as we can remember, companies have tried to boost their green credentials—high rewards…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAviation and marine transport together account for approximately 15% of global oil consumption—a substantial share driven by sectors that are among the hardest to decarbonize. Unlike road transport or power generation, these industries face unique constraints: the high energy density required, long operating ranges,…
Open on SpreakerEnergyBattery technology lies at the core of the global energy transition, but managing and optimizing battery systems has become a highly specialized discipline. ACCURE is a cutting-edge startup that is redefining how batteries are monitored and operated. Using artificial intelligence, advanced sensors, and deep…
Open on SpreakerStorageWater, wind, sunlight — the driving forces behind renewable energy. The better we can predict them, the more we can accelerate progress and reduce risk. Weather forecasting is undergoing a quantum leap, powered by breakthroughs in satellites, drones, and artificial intelligence. Once the exclusive domain of national…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeThree wise men met and discussed the Seven Sins of The Energy Transition. Laurent, Gerard and Michael dissect seven sectors that have captured attention, investments and public money and are at best dead ends, at worst disasters waiting to happen. Greed — “Subsidy Mining in a Lab Coat” (Carbon Capture & Direct Air…
Open on SpreakerEnergyGerard delivered a keynote on Digitalisation, AI, Supply Chains and Electrification at the EcoVadis Global Summit. Gerard Reid argues that we are living through a new industrial revolution driven by digitalization, AI, and electrification, comparable in scale to the steam and automobile revolutions of the past. He…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeThis is a re-release of the legendary interview by Michael Barnard of Pr Bent Flyvbjerg on our sister show ”Redefining Energy Tech” Professor Bent Flyvbjerg, an expert on megaprojects and author of How Big Things Get Done , shares insights from a database of over 16,000 projects, revealing that 99.5% fail to meet…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThis Spring, Laurent Segalen was invited by Solar Power Europe to moderate a panel, during the Solar Power Summit, around the theme ”Winning the Flex challenges”. The Speakers were: Andrea Wechsler, Member of the European Parliament, EPP, Germany Paula Rey Garcia, Acting HoU Renewables & Energy System Integration, DG…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThis is Summer time, so we publish some contents that we have created on other channels A few weeks ago, Gerard came on the ”Clean Titans” The YouTube channel “Clean Titans” focused on clean energy, is hosted by Sam Evans, known as The Clean Energy Guy. His content dives into clean energy topics with enthusiasm,…
Open on SpreakerEnergyOn July 7th, Gerard and Laurent were invited to appear on the U.S. podcast Open Circuit , alongside Jigar Shah, Katherine Hamilton, and Stephen Lacey. It was an emotional reunion—Jigar and Katherine were part of the original Energy Gang , the very show that inspired us to create our own. We had a rich, two-part…
Open on SpreakerEnergyTexas is an oddity in the western electricity world: fastest growing load, ultra-low prices, crazy development of renewables. Texas consumes now more power than France, despite having only half the population. Prices are a factor 4 lower compared to 20 years ago. And 90% of additional load has been provided by Wind…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLaurent had the pleasure and privilege of sitting down with Markus Rauramo, CEO of Fortum, during the Eurelectric “Power Play” conference in Brussels this June. Fortum, the Finnish energy company also active in Sweden and Poland, finds itself right on the front line when it comes to tensions with Russia—not exactly…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeWhat Really Happened During the Iberian Blackout This Spring? And How Should We Make Sense of the Conflicting Reports? To shed light on the events, Gerard and Laurent are joined by global energy expert Steve Berberich , who served as President and CEO of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) from 2011 to…
Open on SpreakerEnergySix years ago, Simon Moores, CEO of Benchmark Minerals Intelligence shook the world in a now legendary testimony in front of the US Senate. Then, Simon predicted the exponential growth of batteries and the control that China was starting to exert of the supply chains. Fast forward today, we bring in, Caspar Rawles,…
Open on SpreakerStorageLaurent remembers vividly his trip to Sofia Bulgaria in winter 2009 when the Russians had cut the gas for Bulgaria during a -15C winter. Russia was already playing hard ball because of (guess what) a financial disagreement with Ukraine. The blackmail lasted 3 weeks, and the poor Bulgarians were cutting the trees from…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWe have recently witnessed spectacular black outs: South Australia 2016, Texas Uri 2021, California 2020-21-25 and Iberia 2025. We are not even mentioning fragile grids in the Global South. We will do an episode on those blackouts later this year. The U.S. electrical grid, now over a century old, struggles to meet…
Open on SpreakerGridThe Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) recently released a widely publicized report titled “The Climate Paradox” , which has garnered significant positive attention from outlets such as the Guardian, the BBC, the Financial Times, Bloomberg, and much of the European press. Beginning with the statement,…
Open on SpreakerEnergyKKR is a Private Equity giant whose involvement in the Energy/Infrastructure sector has grown bigger over the decades. Energy/Infrastructure investments now represents approx 10% of their global Asset under Management of c.700bnUSD. KKR’s approach combines several strategies which are developed in different vehicles…
Open on SpreakerEnergyOn one hand, tariffs are causing significant disruption in the global automotive industry. On the other, the electric vehicle (EV) market continues to surge, seemingly unaffected. According to the latest Q1 2025 data from Rho Motion, 4.1 million EVs were sold globally in Q1 2025—a 29% year-over-year increase compared…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLaurent and Gerard sit down for an in-depth (and at times fiery) conversation with Ben Backwell, Chair of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), to unpack the current state of the wind industry. Ben joins from Brazil, where preparations for COP30 are already underway. As GWEC has just released its flagship Global Wind…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThere's been a great deal of excitement and curiosity surrounding the idea of a Transatlantic Interconnector. So, as co-founders, Laurent Segalen and Simon Ludlam, alongside their adviser Gerard Reid, have decided to release a special episode to bring our listeners up to speed on where things currently stand. While we…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAs we start receiving data for the year 2024 in terms of Energy Production and Consumption, it is time to have a forensic analysis of the global Energy Complex in 2024. Last month we had the always comprehensive IEA Global Energy Review, and now to go deep into Electrification, we just received the Ember's sixth…
Open on SpreakerEnergyCapitalizing on the Infrastructure giants’ Blind Spots: How can a specialised PE fund thrive under the new US Administration? The Energy Transition encompasses more than just power and AI. We have chosen to explore the niche yet crucial areas of waste gas, biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and emissions…
Open on SpreakerEnergyEarly March, Gerard and Laurent were invited by the Cambridge University Energy Technology Society (CUETS) for a live session of Redefining Energy. In front of hundreds of attentive students, they had a comprehensive debate with Pr. David Cebon about the Electrification of Trucks. What are the issues (technical,…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe XXIst century economy will be powered by 'critical minerals' such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earths. China has spent the past 20 years building a dominant position across the supply chain for these metals. The rest of the world is finally waking up to the economic and geopolitical challenges that this…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLaurent welcomes Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric, to discuss Energy Security, Resilience and Flexibility though the impact of E-Mobility. Energy Security has become a critical issue, especially with the recent sabotage of undersea cables in the Baltic Sea by Russian and Chinese vessels, extreme weather…
Open on SpreakerEnergyIt has become a tradition to welcome Luca Pedretti, Co-Founder of Pexapark, to the show to discuss the evolving PPA market, especially now that Pexapark has released its annual State of the Market report. Laurent and Gerard are joined by Luca to highlight the key insights from this year’s findings: Corporate PPA…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAs urgent calls for climate change action continue, an energy supercycle is underway, driven by the increasing need for electrification and digitalization, particularly in high-growth sectors like AI and data centers. Securing a reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy supply to meet this demand is crucial. At the…
Open on SpreakerEnergy2024 has been another exceptional year for the battery industry. We have invited Aaron Wade to discuss the various technological and economic aspects of this rapidly expanding universe. Aaron is a rising star in the battery world. Not only is a key member of the Volta Foundation, but he is also Business Development…
Open on SpreakerStorageWhile Gerard Reid was at Davos, schmoozing with world leaders, Laurent Segalen was invited by Luca Pedretti on the Pexapark podcast. They had a conversation around where to invest in the Energy Transition. Laurent has designed a typology of possible investments from the least desirable to the essential. 1)…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAs the price of gas and LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) becomes a key factor for the value of the world’s energy, we have decided to bring in a top gas expert to explain where the market is and how is it going to evolve. Seb Kennedy is a leading market analyst and Founding Editor of Energy Flux ( www.EnergyFlux.news ), an…
Open on SpreakerEnergyFor the first episode of 2025, Gerard and Laurent have the pleasure of welcoming Shanu Mathew. Shanu is a Senior Vice President at Lazard Asset Management and Portfolio Manager/Analyst on US Sustainable Equity. We are going to analyse the performance of “Cleantech” Equities throughout 2024 and discuss what to expect…
Open on SpreakerEnergyHappy new year to all our listeners. It has become a tradition for the first episode of the year: Gerard, Laurent and Michael present their 2025 Predictions in the Energy Transition. Here are the predictions that were made a year ago. 1) Stellantis will outsource its EV production in China 2) Politics: Elections in…
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Merry Christmas. This is our last Episode of the Year where Laurent and Gerard summarise what impressed them, surprised them and shocked them. AI, Hydrogen, Renewables, USA vs Europe vs China, Climate. What worked, what did not work. 2024 is a year that will be remembered at pivotal in so many aspects. We salute our…
Open on SpreakerEnergyGerard delivered a master class at TedXBerlin about the four forces driving the Energy Revolution Solar, Batteries, Electronics and China. It is called “Welcome to the Era of Energy Disruption” An excellent introduction for tomorrow’s world. You can watch Gerard on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXwGvLj4rak
Open on SpreakerEnergyJust Climate is a 1.5bnUSD vehicle established by Generation Investment with the mission to invest in the highest impact solutions that can radically reduce or remove emissions. They occupy the “missing middle” between VC and PE-Infra allowing growth, FOAK and deployment. Their positioning comes on the heels of VCs…
Open on SpreakerEnergyNorthvolt, once the poster child of the European battery industry, shocked the world last month by filling for Chapter 11 in the United States. The Swedish battery start-up burned through billions of euros in capital from investors such as Volkswagen, Goldman Sachs, and others, with little to show for it. Laurent and…
Open on SpreakerEnergyDeploying solar and heat pumps in the residential sector is all well and good, but many attempts to scale have unfortunately failed. Beyond the king Octopus, Simon Phelan and his company Hometree have managed to become an unlikely challenger in the deployment of the Energy transition inside home. And Simon has…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLaurent goes live to Baku COP29 to discuss with Bruce “Almighty” Douglas, CEO Global Renewable Alliance and tireless promoter of Renewable Energy. He is the one who coins the famous “Triple Renewables” rallying cry, and has been rewarded by joining the precious list of TIME 100 Climate leaders. With Bruce, Laurent…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAs COP29 begins, the ripple effects of the re-election of Donald Trump are reaching the shores of the Caspian Sea. COP28 welcomed 85,000 delegates, within which a significant contingent of Oil lobbyists. COP29 is supposed to be the “Finance COP”, whatever that means, but all major head of states will not participate.…
Open on SpreakerEnergyFirst, Gerard is sorry, he couldn’t make it as he was on a ship in the Irish Sea, and his Starlink wouldn’t connect. So, it is just Laurent interviewing a young superstar, Peter Paul van Voorst, CEO of the mobile battery management platform Skoon. Skoon, based in Rotterdam, is now seven years old and manages more than…
Open on SpreakerStorageGerard and Laurent welcome Kristian Ruby, secretary general of Eurelectric, about their new report entitled “Power Barometer – Zeroing in on Electrification”. To quote the IEA, we enter in the “Age of Electrification” where electrification rate is going to accelerate significantly. We have an extensive conversation…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWhat are VPP? Virtual Power Plants. What are DER? Distributed Energy Resources? As the grid becomes more intermittent while the load is growing, those VPP/DER platforms provide a critical role by shedding demand, sometimes for a few minutes, to alleviate stress on the Grids. VPPs can avoid starting polluting peakers…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWhile Gerard is doing his rock star concert at TedTalk Berlin, Laurent has invited an old friend, Roger Atkins, Top Voice on EVs to discuss the people behind the EV revolution. Roger has a 40 year career in the Auto industry (half of them in EVs) and his cowboy hat makes him a fixture of great EV shows around the…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe battery infrastructure is currently growing 3x faster than the solar industry. Records are beaten daily: in August 2024, for the first time, Chinese battery factories passed the 100GWh production mark. We are seeing industry giants consolidate their leadership while hopes of alternative technologies or promising…
Open on SpreakerStorageGerard is live on the Wisdom Tree Commodity Exchange podcast and delivers a masterclass on how to invest in the Energy Transition: Renewables, Equity, Innovation, Commodities. ----- Laurent will be keynote speaker at ReSource Amsterdam 24-25/10/24. Come say hello…
Open on SpreakerEnergyExxonMobil forecasts 2050 Oil demand be the same as today. We believe that they are just “talking their books.” To discuss the future of the Energy system as well as the fight against Climate Change, we bring in a very respected expert and friend of the show: Kingsmill Bond, Energy Strategist at RMI. Kingsmill has…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAs Europe has reached 270GW wind power (vs 150GW USA), corresponding to a value of 500bnEUR, we dig into the value of those assets. Gerard being out, Laurent brought his friend Mortimer Menzel, Managing Partner of Augusta Co, one of the most seasoned investment bankers in the wind sector. After describing the past…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAs wind and solar become ubiquitous, the value of hydropower goes up. Hydropower is becoming the ultimate clean energy, as it is flexible and easily dispatchable. Hydropower is concentrated in certain geographies (China, Brazil, Canada) and is almost entirely developed by State-Owned Utilities that can stomach and…
Open on SpreakerEnergy“Summer has come and passed / The innocent can never last / Wake me up when September ends”. Like John Wick, Laurent thinks he is back. So we have a very energetic Minutes to start September. With Gerard, the co-hosts focus on one of the key trends of 2024 which they call “Batteries, the Great Consolidation”. A lot of…
Open on SpreakerStorageHow to decarbonise buildings? That’s an important topic because that sector accounts for 37% of all emissions, making it one of the three pillars of decarbonisation next to electricity generation and transportation. Progress has been mixed. If lighting is an incredible success, heating and cooling remain a complex…
Open on SpreakerEnergyA special interview with one of the great minds of the Energy Transition. Dr. Doug Arent is the Executive Director of Strategic Public– Private Partnerships at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, U.S and Distinguished Fellow, World Economic Forum. He just published a book called “Our…
Open on SpreakerEnergyDuring Summer season, we bring you back the best of our sister show, Redefining Energy TECH, where host Michael Barnard invites Paul Martin for a very long and geekie conversation about innovative solutions for industrial heat. Two titans of our industry. Paul Martin, a seasoned chemical engineer, share his profound…
Open on SpreakerEnergyIn episode 143, Gerard, Laurent and Michael have discussed the philosophy of Bill Gates when it comes to the Energy Transition, and the root causes of his flawed thesis. Let see now if this transpires in his main investment vehicle, Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV). Michael Barnard is quite blunt: “To be clear,…
Open on SpreakerEnergyBill Gates is sucking a lot of oxygen in the Energy Transition. Is he a force for good, or a nuisance? What is his thesis and where does it come from? And is the thesis still valid in 2024 or obsolete? In this episode, we will not analyse Breakthrough Energy Ventures, his VC fund celebrating its 10th anniversary. That…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThis week, it is a solo by Gerard Reid. This is the audio of its remarkable presentation at EcoSummit Berlin in June 2024. The topic is “Batteries vs Hydrogen” Link to the YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAbr4byi414
Open on SpreakerStorageTexas and California have witnessed a crazy growth in Solar and Batteries in recent years. In 2024 California has 24GW of Solar and 9GW of batteries on its grid; Texas has grown even faster with 31GW of Solar and 10GW of batteries. When it comes to the Energy Transition, you can make the following analogy: public…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAfter a crazy Intersolar in Munich which welcomed more than 120,000 visitors, the pace of Solar deployment in Europe is going exponentially. Gerard and Laurent bring in Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of Solar Power Europe, to discuss the development of Solar, and through the new report “Mission Solar 2040”, how we are on…
Open on SpreakerEnergyGlencore’s CEO Gary Nagle has once described ESG as “some person in the basement in office number 27 engaged in a box-ticking exercise.” And a lot of fossil fuel companies – while being less explicit – share the same opinion on ESG… and have voiced their hostility indirectly through complicit media outlets. The ESG…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWe bring in Nick Wayth, CEO of Energy Institute (EI), for the release of the 73rd Edition of the Statistical Review of World Energy. The Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy™ analyses data on world energy markets from the prior year. Previously produced by bp, the Review has been providing timely,…
Open on SpreakerEnergyUK is at the nexus of the subsea interconnector’s new economy. Great Britain is connected to Continental Europe by 8 interconnectors representing up to 15% of its power consumption. Subsea cables are now a growing industry because of the benefits they bring to the grids, such as resiliency, capacity, lower prices, and…
Open on SpreakerGridLaurent interviews Georgios Stassis, PPC’S CEO, during Eurelectric Power Summit 24. PPC, the Greek Utility, is a remarkable turnaround story: from a soviet-style dinosaur a few years ago, PPC has become a thriving forward-looking profitable modern Utility. With Georgios, we discuss the investment in renewables, the…
Open on SpreakerEnergyIn April, we did Ep129 Minutes about China and announced the interview with a real expert. Here it is. With David Fishman, an American based in Shanghai, we dig deep into China’s Energy Transition. We try to reconcile the rise of renewables and the rise of coal use. We try to decipher what is decided locally and…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLast week, Laurent was in Athens for the spectacular Eurelectric Summit (we will talk more about it in 2 weeks’ time, with a special Episode) meanwhile, we bring in our friend Jan-Michael Hess, organiser of the Berlin EcoSummit 4-5 June to discuss Clean Tech and his annual gathering of more than 100 Start-Ups and…
Open on SpreakerEnergy"McKinsey, BCG and S&P Global Commodity Insights project electricity demand tied to data centers to increase at a CAGR of 15% through 2030." “Booming AI demand threatens global electricity supply (FT)”. Media and consultants have recently raised the alarm about the unquenchable energy thirst of AI and datacentres. Can…
Open on SpreakerAI & computeWe bring in the star of the week, Ember’s Dave Jones, to discuss the Global Electricity Review 2024, published last week. Main take aways (thank you Nat Bullard): Renewable sources (hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass) are now 30% of global electricity supply. Solar generation increased 23% yoy; wind 10%. Fossil…
Open on SpreakerEnergyDistribution grids are facing new challenges. On the one hand, they experience a growth of local demand, with EV charging, heat pumps and datacenters. On the other, they must accommodate with the fast deployment of decentralised energy such as rooftop solar and batteries. How to reconcile those challenges while…
Open on SpreakerGridWe hear conflicting messages regarding the status of the EV market. On the bright side, IEA predicts 17mEV to be sold this year, EV and Hybrids reach 50% market share in China for Q1, more than 500 EV models are currently on the market. On the dark side, Tesla and BYD deliveries were down in Q1_24, Tesla revenues were…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLaurent and Gerard have a rapid overview of what’s going on regarding the Energy Transition in China and its political implication in the West. Record production of this, record production of that, overcapacity everywhere… We babble a lot, rant a bit, and conclude that we need to invite a real expert on the show.
Open on SpreakerEnergyWhat is the value of green electrons? Hard to say. Depends where, depends when. What is sure is that, in view of recent regulations and corporate commitments, they must be tracked. From an annual basis, we are now moving to an hourly basis, under the thrust of corporate initiatives like the GhGProtocol, RE-100 and…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThis week, Gerard and Laurent have been invited to a private event organized by Aquila Capital in March 2024, during the Global Infrastructure Conference, where they debate with Markus Wandt, CIO Aquila if “Renewables are still an Infrastructure play?”
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe main hindrance to the development of renewables is the connection queue. Basically, grid operators tell developers “Sorry guys, we’re full”. A recent study by RMI has proven that this is simply not true. Grid operators are either too conservative or not incentivized to take more load. Old solutions. Old thinking.…
Open on SpreakerGridThis week, Gerard and Laurent talk about the 3 big energy gatherings that happened this week. Houston (CERAweek), Bilbao (WindEurope) and Berlin (Global Infrastructure Summit). Laurent and Gerard were in Berlin and report what they saw and heard. In a simple sentence à la John Wick “Yes, I think I’m back”
Open on SpreakerEnergy“It’s hard to play a good game when you have been served weak cards”. This is the perennial challenge of Japan when it comes to the Energy Transition. And the game is getting harder when your two main choices, nuclear and hydrogen, are proving extremely costly in a world of cheap renewables. How robust is a business…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThis week, Gerard and Laurent talk about Conferences / Exhibition that they recently attended and what they have learned there. Gerard was in Germany’s E-World while Laurent was in London’s Energy Storage Summit. And they act as mirror opposites: "back in business" in Germany while the storage in London realises that…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe two limiting factors for a faster deployment of EVs are the price of vehicles and “range anxiety”. While the former is being addressed by an ever-growing number of cheaper models available on the market, the latter is also experiencing a revolution. You would believe that such an opportunity would be grasped by…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThis week, Gerard and Laurent talk about three great reports that have recently been published and deliver some world-class data about past achievements, current status and the direction of travel. As a sign of things to come, European Carbon has lost 36% since the beginning of the year. We are here saluting Ember and…
Open on SpreakerEnergyTo discuss everything that’s going on in the PPA market (and a lot of things are happening), Gerard and Laurent bring back the excellent Luca Pedretti, CEO and co-founder Pexapark. Pexapark is the leading swiss-based intelligence platform on PPA in Europe. With Luca, we have an extensive conversation about the recent…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThis week, Gerard is out, so Laurent does the Minutes with Michael Barnard, host of our sister show Redefining Energy – Tech. On the menu this week, an overview of the decarbonisation of shipping. What will be electrified? What role for Hydrogen, Green Ammonia, Methanol and Biodiesel? And the answers are hybrid and…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAt COP28 was endorsed the concept of “tripling renewables” – all good, but a lot of people forgot to mention the rest of the sentence which is “and doubling of Energy Efficiency”. In the latest IEA report, there is a 400bnUSD Energy Efficiency pie, almost at the level of Oil Upstream, and more than into Grids. Nobody…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWhy has the fund raised by infrastructure fund drastically collapsed in 2023. Is it linked to lackluster returns in a high interest rate environment? At the same time, we have seen numerous acquisitions of mid size infrastructure specialists by larger global asset managers, case in point the very spectacular purchase…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAfter two years of irrational exuberance, we are back to earth when it comes to Cleantech investment. On the menu this week, Gerard and Laurent are reviewing the Cleantech 100 report (15th edition). The overall ecosystem is down 40% yoy, but it has also cleaned the foam and is now revealing the future. We discuss the…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLong term renewables assets portfolios provide stable returns. In most of the world, they are held by pension funds, insurance companies or big infrastructure funds. We have the exception of the UK with listed Infrastructure funds, also known as Yieldcos. For more than a decade, Yieldcos have been the backbone of the…
Open on SpreakerEnergyFirst Episode on the Redefining Energy MINUTES on the main channel. On the menu this week, an update of nuclear and offshore wind , two important (but minor) sources of carbon-free energy. And some news on the scandal at Cummins, and their pollution cheating device, costing them 1.6bnUSD.…
Open on SpreakerEnergyHappy new year to all our listeners. It has become a tradition for the first episode of the year: Gerard and Laurent present their 2024 Predictions in the Energy Transition. And we brought in our friend (and co-host of our sister show RE TECH) to spice up the conversation: Michael Barnard. Michael also acts as referee…
Open on SpreakerPolicy
202326
Final Episode of 2023 (and last one for the MINUTES on their own channel). All episodes will be on this channel going forward. Here are the Redefining Energy Awards for 2023: Company of the Year - BYD Start Up of the Year - PV Case Deal of the Year – Tesla and NACS Trade of the Year – Short Gas TTF Scandal of the Year…
Open on SpreakerEnergyLast episode of the Year. And what a year. We passed 1m downloads since inception. In 2023, we will have 470k downloads up 34% compared to 2022. Gerard and Laurent saw the Weaponisation of Energy coming: two years ago in Oct 2021, we did Episode 60 called “the Natgaspocalypse”. That was 5 months before the invasion of…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThis Sunday, a Special Episode. We are going live to COP28 in Dubai. Our special guest is Bruce Douglas, CEO Global Renewable Alliance, who is spearheading the effort around the key message “Double down, Triple Up” or how we will decarbonise by tripling renewables by the end of the decade. Bruce tells us how it is on…
Open on SpreakerEnergyIn the past 5 years, we have seen an incredible rise of Energy Storage (ESS) on numerous Grids. Those markets, whether in Europe (10GW) or in the USA (16GW), have been created by the magic formula where entrepreneurship blended with new technology. For Laurent and Gerard, there is not better guest to discuss the…
Open on SpreakerStorageWhy should the 97% of non-French listeners of the podcast be interested in the fate of the French nuclear fleet? With 60GW and 56 reactors, the French nuclear fleet is critical to the very existence of a European Power market as it represents 10%-15% of the electricity consumed on the continent and much larger share…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWe hear a lot about Climate Tech, and the VC investments about to revolutionize and accelerate the Energy Transition. Gerard and Laurent wanted to know more. And there is no better place than Silicon Valley to hear it directly from the source. What are the trends? Where to invest? What strategy? There is no better…
Open on SpreakerEnergyHonestly, we have struggled to find a suitable title for this Episode. We thought of and then abandoned catchier titles such as “Withering Wind”, “Have we reached peak wind?” and even “Wind – WTF”. Finally, we settled for a more optimistic headline. Still, after a great decade, the Wind industry is facing serious head…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe smaller the grid, the higher the price. Islands have been plagued forever by a higher price of power. This is an inherent consequence of their small scale. Add on the top some natural catastrophes, and you end up with a poor and costly service for consumers. The good news is that there is a new generation of…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAt Cop26 was launched the Global Methane Pledge to catalyse action to reduce methane. The problem is that no one really knew how much methane leaked nor who emitted what. Even the emitters didn’t have a clear view of the problem. First came satellites, that provided a regional assessment of the problem. But they only…
Open on SpreakerEnergyGeothermal has been around for decades and always considered part of the Energy Transition. Unfortunately, its development has been limited to very specific geographical location (US West Coast, Iceland, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia), basically the Ring of Fire. Those historical techniques, called “hydrothermal” have…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAfter a decade in obscurity, carbon offsets have resurrected in recent years as more companies are targeting net zero. Volumes and prices have picked up in 2021-22 to create a 2bn USD market that some institutions predict could rise to 50bnUSD by the end of the decade. But the market is non-regulated, very opaque and…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAs the growth of the EV market and Energy Storage continues unabated, we wanted to know what the current State of Play in the Battery industry is. In 2023, China dominates the Li_Ion battery market and its main companies, BYD and CATL are – alongside Tesla – blazing the trail of new technologies and performances. Are…
Open on SpreakerStorageLive from Brussels, on the 20th of June 2023, we were invited to interview Leonard Birnbaum. Since he came last on the show (Ep50), the whole Energy Sector has been through hell with Russia invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent near-death experience of 2022. Leonard Birnbaum is the CEO of the giant German Utility…
Open on SpreakerEnergySteel is essential for the equipment of the Energy Transition (Wind, EVs) but at the same time bears a very significant carbon footprint: 1.8tCO2/t steel. Pushed and/or incentivised by policies in the US and EU, the Steel industry must innovate to reduce its CO2 emissions which today represent 7%-8% of the world’s…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWhat a pleasure, what an honor to have the original Energy Gang on our show to celebrate our 100th Episode. The wit of Katherine Hamilton and the laugh of Jigar Shah were our inspiration 5 years ago when we got drunk at the Red Lion pub near Piccadilly to launch our show. The “ambitious” business plan was to create a…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe electricity network is the bloodline of the economy. It is a very complex system, built over decades, with layers of technologies and it has to be reliable 24/7. We hardly talked about this network of wires and cables a few years back but now, in the context of the energy transition, it plays a critical role in…
Open on SpreakerGridHow to optimise a fleet of hundreds of solar parks? And the work needs to start once the asset has been energised...and continue for decades. Plus, as with an iceberg, most of the work is below the surface. How to manage this complexity, what lessons can be learned from one territory to another? How are the teams…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe Power Markets have been created thirty years ago to respond to the Energy Deregulation drive. They have recently faced crisis, such as the Ukraine Russia war or storm Yuri in Texas, with power prices going crazy and creating a lot of financial distresses for certain producers and consumers. Meanwhile, we see the…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe Energy Storage Market, namely large-scale batteries, is the fastest growing segment of the Energy transition. Texas, UK, California, and Australia are witnessing phenomenal deployment rates. We are talking about annual growth of 30%-40%. As more and more infrastructure investors are either considering investing in…
Open on SpreakerStorageCan we really go to Net Zero and keep energy secure and affordable with current policies, or do we need to make hard choices that politicians might not be willing to sustain over the long term? Are the new technologies going to save us or will have to rely on dirigiste policies to dampen the energy prices spikes and…
Open on SpreakerEnergy3 million heat pumps were installed in Europe in 2022 (up 38% year on year) with some markets going crazy (Poland went up 120%). The movement is not limited to Europe, as US annual sales rose above 4 million units for the first time in 2022 (more than gas boilers). As the deployment of heat pumps has reached an…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe supply chains in renewables are a total mess. Security of Supply, Price fluctuations, Technological changes, ESG… Acquiring equipment on time and on budget is becoming a harder challenge by the day. How to fix the supply chain for renewables? We needed to bring a real professional on the show, and that’s Özer…
Open on SpreakerStorageWe discovered Simon Moores, CEO of Benchmark Minerals Intelligence, on YouTube, during a legendary testimony during the US Senate in 2019. Simon just blew our mind, so it had been an ambition for this show to bring him on. And we did. With Simon, we analyse the whole supply chain of batteries, from mining (lithium,…
Open on SpreakerStoragePower Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are private contracts between a producer of renewable energy and consumers. The PPA was developing consistently, mainly driven by Utilities. Then 2022 arrived and we witnessed an unprecedented volatility in PPA markets in Europe. What were the consequences of that turmoil on the PPA…
Open on SpreakerEnergyEverybody wants to buy 24/7 green electrons, but until recently, it has proven quite difficult. Most buyers of Green Energy are currently purchasing their electrons on a yearly basis, and furthermore with little regard for the location. At the same time, last century thinking has gripped regulators with frantic…
Open on SpreakerEnergyHappy new year 2023 to all our listeners. In this Episode, it is Nostradamus vs. Cassandra all over again: Laurent and Gerard review their 2022 predictions (Episode 65) and look forward to the future. How accurate were our two co-hosts’ predictions for 2022? 1) The Energy Transition is not going to be a smooth ride 2)…
Open on SpreakerPolicy
202225
Another year of explosive growth for the Solar Industry: production above 300GW, +45% yoy. What’s behind this staggering growth? How are the supply chain evolving? What are the “Fab four” and what new technology are they pursuing? Why are the prices not going down? How can the development of ESG in supply chain be…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe biogas/biomethane industry is now one of the promising segments of the Energy Transition: security of supply, renewables sources, local jobs, round the clock dispatchability; the industry ticks all boxes. Biogas can basically be made from any organic material, so the three big sectors are: 1) agricultural wastes…
Open on SpreakerEnergyGeopolitics and Climate disasters have shown how fragile Energy flows and infrastructures have become. Moving electrons or molecules is becoming an ever-greater challenge in the drive to decarbonisation, affordability, and security of supply. Politics are always in the background, and the recent US Midterms elections…
Open on SpreakerPolicyThe war in Ukraine has triggered a dislocation of Energy markets, especially in Europe. This has led to a point a few months ago when governments had to bail out all Utilities which were caught on the wrong side of Energy Trades. Trillions of derivatives threatened to trigger a “Lehman moment”. How did we get there?…
Open on SpreakerEnergyOffshore Wind was one of the great development successes of the past decade, growing in 10 years from a few pilot projects to a real industry. Two zones have been at the fore front: the North Sea (with 30GW as of 2021) and China (with +20GW). Better tech, burgeoning supply chain and infrastructure, and a dramatic fall…
Open on SpreakerEnergyDecarbonising the shipping industry seemed very aspirational until recently. Lofty goals are out there: “The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set an ambition to reduce the carbon intensity of emissions from shipping by at least 40% by 2030, and 70% by 2050, compared with 2008 levels. To achieve this, the…
Open on SpreakerEnergyIn the past two years, we’ve seen a remarkable renaissance of the carbon markets. Some markets are of a “compliance” type - like in Europe - heavily regulated but limited in geography and scope; but there is limited prospect for an overall Cap & Trade worldwide as carbon markets were ignored in the US IRA - the…
Open on SpreakerEnergyTalking about nuclear is tough. In the left corner, a besieged and opaque industry only delivering carefully crafted talking points; and in the right corner, most of the energy economists and financiers that are ignoring promises never met. One can’t escape the feeling that the nuclear industry operates in a parallel…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThis episode is done in partnership with SolarPower Europe. There is a lot of media around Utility solar, but the real solar revolution is happening one rooftop at the time. In China, the EU and Australia, Rooftop and C&I account for more than 60% of all solar installations (In the US, it’s only 30%). No need to…
Open on SpreakerEnergyEnergy Efficiency is not sexy, it’s under the radar, hard to invest in. We are talking about small unit amounts, with aggregation problems, credit problems, standardisation problems. But the whole sector is undertaking a quiet revolution: with the price explosion of retail energy, efficiency is now on everyone’s desk.…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe future of storage is so bright that investing in in the vertical and its adjacencies is the opportunity of a lifetime. At the same time, buyer beware - there are many Theranos-like investment opportunities lurking out there in our vertical. You've got to be very smart to minimize the losers in your portfolio…or,…
Open on SpreakerStorageSubsea interconnectors are a very discreet sector, it entails decade-long developments…but are developing fast and have become critical to increasing renewables penetration and enhancing energy security. They were originally developed around the North Sea and the Baltic Sea by TSO (Transmission System Operators) but…
Open on SpreakerGridAfter the fiasco of “Better place” in 2013, a much-hyped Israeli start up that proposed battery swapping for cars, everybody thought that the concept of battery swapping was dead. Against all odds, an exceptional Hong Kong Chinese American entrepreneur decided to be a contrarian and launched Gogoro as Better Place…
Open on SpreakerStorageElon Musk calls Lithium supply the “limiting factor” for electric vehicle adoption globally. Lithium is the key material for the Energy Transition and is currently enjoying a “white gold” rush. The supply has significantly gone up multiple fold in the past seven years, up to 500,000t/y in 2022; still, demand is…
Open on SpreakerStorageThere is not a single day when we don’t hear about new funds being raised to finance the Energy Transition. As very few funds are listed on Exchanges, and it is estimated that more than 2/3 of the Energy Transition is currently financed on private markets, for which there is limited public available information.…
Open on SpreakerEnergyOver the past few months, energy prices have gone through the roof, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put energy security on the front burner. We can legitimately ask ourselves: Are high energy prices and the need for energy security tanking or boosting the Energy transition? Of course, we now are seeing the fossil…
Open on SpreakerEnergyHow to survive a war when you are a Utility in Ukraine? Thanks to Eurelectric which organised the introduction, we have the honour of welcoming a hero of the Energy world: Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, one of the top integrated Utility in Ukraine. During an intense conversation we talk about war, destruction, and…
Open on SpreakerEnergyDecarbonising Heat is a significant challenge on the road to Net-Zero, Climate Resilience and Energy Security. It is also a very complex problem as there are several categories of heat that require different technical solutions. While Heat Pumps can (and will) provide low grade heat, the options for high grade heat…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe deployment of Li-Ion batteries has exploded in recent years and is expected to enjoy a 30% annual growth until 2030. But those very critical pieces of hardware need a brain to fully function, and that is where software kicks in. In fact, they are two layers of software: the operating system, monitoring the…
Open on SpreakerStorage- Episode pageEnergy
The war in Ukraine is a total gamechanger. Beyond the personal drama and misery inflicted on millions of human beings, it triggers a tremor in the world of Energy of a magnitude not seen since the Oil shocks of the 70’s. As Energy Security becomes front and center, Gerard and Laurent try to understand the short-term…
Open on SpreakerEnergyAs we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the seminal book by Jeremy Rifkin “The Hydrogen Economy” and the astronomical amount of non-sense it contained, we wanted to have a real look at the prospect of Green Hydrogen. Beyond bombastic claims such as “History will look back at 2022 as the year that hydrogen…
Open on SpreakerEnergyGigafactory: a term first coined by Elon Musk in 2013 when announcing the Tesla+Panasonic giant battery plant in Nevada. There are currently more than 260 Gigafactories planned around the world, but lots of them remain “PowerPoint factories”. So, how do you go from PowerPoint to Gigafactory? The answer might be in…
Open on SpreakerEnergyDelivering 24/7 carbon free power is the holy grail for infrastructure funds. Such progress requires a new approach to investing. New technologies need to be harnessed: Hybridization, storage, and data science. The ESG component is also getting additional scrutiny from investors. So, how will the state-of-the-art…
Open on SpreakerEnergyHappy new year 2022 to all our listeners. In this Episode, its Nostradamus vs. Cassandra all over again: Laurent and Gerard review their 2021 predictions (Episode 42) and look forward to the future. How accurate were our two co-hosts’ predictions for 2021? 1) “The Empire strikes back”, legacy players in the Energy and…
Open on SpreakerPolicy
202121
2021 looked like an “annus horribilis” for the solar industry. Price increases, supply chain problems, threat of taxes on importations. Is the solar industry at the end of 2021 just doom and gloom? Absolutely not. The solar industry has grown an amazing 27% this year, and the trend will continue in 2022. We bring the…
Open on SpreakerEnergyEV charging is developing exponentially. It is now a 30bnUSD market per year, growing at a astonishing pace of 20%. More than 1.5m EV charging stations are now operational in the world, 50% in China, 30% in Europe. The US will catch up soon thank to the Biden Infrastructure plan that commits 7.5bnUSD to EV charging.…
Open on SpreakerGridAs COP26 comes to a close, there has been a flurry of commitments to invest trillions of dollars in green technologies and carbon neutral projects. That is the core of ESG investing (or is it?). ESG investing has grown exponentially since the famous 2015 Marc Carney’s speech "Breaking the Tragedy of the Horizon" and…
Open on SpreakerEnergyRenewables are developing very fast, but without a proper distribution system, the energy transition will soon stall. So, what does tomorrow’s green grid looks like? It seems like a dull subject, but the grid modernisation is the necessary condition of a successful roll out of wind, solar and EV Charging. What needs…
Open on SpreakerGridFor the past decade, Natural Gas has been promoted as the “Clean, Reliable and Cheap” fuel to assist the Energy Transition. Well that cosy theory, heavily promoted by the fossil fuel companies, is collapsing in front of our eyes with the Gas crunch affecting Europe, Asia and Latin America. As of 6 October 2021, TTF…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWhat are the technological options to compensate for – as the German say - the “Dunkelflaute” (dark doldrums), those winter weeks of low winds and low solar? That’s the code that will have to be cracked by Long Duration Energy Storage (above 8 hours and up to several days). Because, if no realistic solution is…
Open on SpreakerStorageSteel and cement with their 2,000 mills and 3,000 kilns, together currently emit 15% of the world’s CO2. So far, they’ve been exempted from carbon trading or carbon pricing, which means no significant reductions have been implemented. But in a 1.5degree and Net Zero scenarios, they start to feel the pressure. We…
Open on SpreakerEnergyMethane is the largest source of greenhouse gas after CO2. The latest IPCC report has flagged the issue as “Code Red”. Until recently, Methane Emissions had not been universally monitored nor managed. Hence, how can Natural Gas legitimately claim that is it is a “bridge fuel” in the fight against Climate Change?…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe future of Sustainable Aviation is a very hot topic, but there are currently more questions than answers: How much of the aviation can be electrified? Will innovation come from start-ups teaming up with VCs or large OEMs? What new systems will have to be designed and certified? Is Hydrogen a solution or a fantasy?…
Open on SpreakerEnergy2020 has proven a turning point in the EV market, and the trend is accelerating in 2021: more models, stronger public policies, mass roll-out of charging infrastructure, and a 300bnUSD race to catch up on Tesla. What’s the current state of play in the EV market? Among the OEMs, which are the Tesla challengers, and…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe development of renewables has made power markets much more volatile, hence “volatility is the new gold”. Harnessing that volatility requires skills much beyond the traditional Energy Trader’s capabilities: welcome to the new digital energy trading system. To discuss those changes, we are invited Peter Bance, CEO…
Open on SpreakerEnergyNavigating the Energy Transition for an Oil Major is not that simple. Decades-old simple centralised molecules energy systems are making way to decentralised electrons models. Some Oil Majors have simply decided to ignore the Energy transition, others - like Shell - are trying to adapt their business to it. A trading…
Open on SpreakerEnergyGermany is rightly portrayed as a pioneer in the development of wind and solar. For the past two decades, the German government has granted a) a very stable framework b) very generous terms to renewables. And the “Energiewende” (the Energy Transition) as this policy is named, has delivered exceptional results, as the…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWhile coal is being phased out in Europe and America, it is still the dominant source of energy in Asia. Why is that? And how will the situation evolve? Is there any teeth behind the net zero pledges for the second part of the century? In other words, is coal here to stay in Asia or has the tide started to turn? There…
Open on SpreakerEnergy“Sorry, I’m getting emotional when it comes to smart meters”. Part of Eurelectric’ s Power Summit 2021, we have had a great conversation with Dr Leonhard Birnbaum, the new CEO of E.ON. E.ON is a massive German Utility that has spent the last decade (aka “the lost decade”) selling its coal plants, exiting from nuclear…
Open on SpreakerEnergyThe energy retail sector is also experiencing its version of the energy transition, where incumbents with legacy systems are challenged by new entrants rolling out ground-breaking digital platforms. Beyond the digital supremacy, disruptors bring a new approach to consumers' needs, much closer to Amazon than a Utility.…
Open on SpreakerEnergyChina manufactures 2/3 of the world’s solar panels and 2/3 of the world’s batteries. How does it look on the ground? What technological advances do Chinese companies have and what does it means for the future? There is no better source of knowledge on the subject of Solar and Batteries that someone based in China and…
Open on SpreakerStorageIn Episode 47, we dive into the exponential development of batteries into the Grid: the Energy Storage industry is doubling size every year. One of the key market is the UK, where the market is expected to x10 this decade because of the rise of renewables, the electrification of transport and heating, and the need for…
Open on SpreakerStorageAfter several black outs in the past months, the irresistible growing trend towards electrification and the relentless rise of renewables, the grid has become the indispensable nervous system of the energy transition. How can the grid manage more intermittent and decentralized sources while ensuring more resiliency in…
Open on SpreakerGridThe UK Green Industrial Revolution was introduced by Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, in 2020. It is a holistic approach to decarbonisation, but we wanted to focus on one of its key aspects: the development of the largest offshore wind farms in the world. Beyond climate change, it is about innovation, new…
Open on SpreakerEnergyWhy are engineers, politicians and financiers talking about Hydrogen all the time? And why are they throwing billions of subsidies or investment in companies in that sector? Is Hydrogen a problem, with its hundreds of millions tonnes of CO2 emissions per year or a “Swiss Army Knife” solution that will help decarbonise…
Open on SpreakerEnergy
202021
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- Episode pageStorage
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- Episode pageGrid
- Episode pagePolicy
- Episode pageEnergy
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- Episode pageAI & compute
- Episode pageEnergy
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- Episode pageStorage
- Episode pageEnergy
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201912
- Episode pageAI & compute
- Episode pageEnergy
- Episode pageEnergy
- Episode pageEnergy
- Episode pageEnergy
- Episode pageEnergy
- Episode pageEnergy
- Episode pageEnergy
- Episode pageEnergy
- Episode pagePolicy
- Episode pageStorage
- Episode pageAI & compute
Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
New episodes most weeks. The show has its own home at redefining-energy.com.