Energy Unplugged by Aurora
Energy Unplugged by Aurora is a podcast that features in-depth conversations with key international industry leaders, policymakers, and academics on the global energy transition. Hosted by Aurora experts, it explores topics such as renewables, battery storage, grid integration, hydrogen, commodity markets, and technology innovation. New episodes are released weekly.
Episodes
Can Japan Build a Battery Market? EP. 306
This week on Energy Unplugged, Hugo Batten, Managing Director of Aurora APAC, and Arthur Yanagisawa, Head of Advisory for Japan at Aurora Energy Research, are joined by Virginie Sandilya, Chief Investment Officer of Shizen International and Head of Project Finance for the Shizen Energy Group.
Japan knows it needs batteries. The question is whether the market can build them fast enough.
Investor
What Happens When a Market Moves Fast? EP. 305 - Video Edition
This week on Energy Unplugged, Laura Picardo, Aurora Energy Research's Advisory Lead for Mexico, is joined by William Judd, Manager – Origination & Execution, LatAm at Cubico Sustainable Investments.
After years of limited renewable deployment, Mexico's energy transition is moving again.
New investment mechanisms, major regulatory reforms, and ambitious deployment targets are creating fresh
What Happens When a Market Moves Fast? EP. 305
This week on Energy Unplugged, Laura Picardo, Aurora Energy Research's Advisory Lead for Mexico, is joined by William Judd, Manager – Origination & Execution, LatAm at Cubico Sustainable Investments.
After years of limited renewable deployment, Mexico's energy transition is moving again.
New investment mechanisms, major regulatory reforms, and ambitious deployment targets are creating fresh
From Power Crisis to Power Market EP.304
This week on Energy Unplugged, Caroline Still, Aurora Energy Research's Market Lead for South Africa, is joined by Jan Fourie, CEO of Mulilo.
Just a few years ago, South Africa's priority was clear: end load shedding. Today, the challenge looks very different.
As private investment accelerates and the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM) begins to take shape, the industry is shifti
China's Renewable Boom Enters Its Hardest Phase EP. 303
This week on Energy Unplugged, Lara Panjkov, Aurora Energy Research's Head of Research for APAC, and Zelin Chen, Aurora's Market and Research Lead for China, are joined by Anders Hove, Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.
For years, the story of China's energy transition was one of scale: more solar, more wind, more batteries, more transmission.
Now the challenge is
Why Higher Interest Rates May Be Good for Clean Energy EP. 302
This week on Energy Unplugged, Oliver Kerr, Aurora Energy Research's Managing Director for North America, is joined by Declan Flanagan, CEO of Blue Star Energy Capital.
For much of the past decade, renewable energy development was shaped by abundant capital, falling technology costs, and ever-growing pipelines. Today, the industry is operating in a very different environment.
Demand growth is ba
We Built the Renewables. So Why Are Bills Still Rising? EP. 301
This week on Energy Unplugged, Marc Hedin, Head of Research for Western Europe & Africa at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Rachel Fletcher, Director of Regulation & Economics at Octopus Energy, to tackle a question at the heart of Britain’s energy debate: why are electricity bills so high, and what would it take to bring them down?
As the UK pushes ahead with electrification, Rachel
We Built the Renewables. So Why Are Bills Still Rising? EP. 301 - Video Edition
This week on Energy Unplugged, Mark Hedin, Head of Research for Western Europe & Africa at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Rachel Fletcher, Director of Regulation & Economics at Octopus Energy, to tackle a question at the heart of Britain’s energy debate: why are electricity bills so high, and what would it take to bring them down?
As the UK pushes ahead with electrification, Rachel
When Success Becomes the Challenge EP. 300
As we celebrate a milestone 300 episodes of Energy Unplugged, Richard Howard, Aurora Energy Research's Global Research Director, is joined by Aurora's regional Managing Directors from around the world to explore a defining question for the energy transition: what happens after the first phase of success?
For much of the past decade, the challenge was clear: deploy clean technologies at scale.
Can Data Centres Earn Their Power? EP.299
This week on Energy Unplugged, Oliver Kerr, Aurora Energy Research’s Managing Director for North America, is joined by Arushi Sharma Frank, Founder of Luminary Strategies and one of the leading thinkers shaping the future of power markets in the age of AI.
As data centre demand surges across the United States, electricity has become a critical constraint on growth. The challenge is no longer simp
BONUS EPISODE: The Hidden Challenge Behind Brazil's Energy Boom
This week on Energy Unplugged, Rodrigo Borges, Aurora Energy Research’s Market Lead for Brazil, is joined by Carla Primavera, Deputy Managing Director at BNDES, the Brazilian Development Bank. BNDES has been central to Brazil’s energy transition, financing renewables from early utility-scale wind and solar to the next generation of low-carbon technologies.
Brazil’s power market is entering a new
Can the Grid Keep Up with AI? EP. 298
This week on Energy Unplugged, Oliver Kerr, Aurora Energy Research’s Managing Director for North America, is joined by Seyed Madaeni, Co-Founder and CEO of Verse. Drawing on decades of experience in power markets, energy storage, and grid software, Seyed shares his perspective on one of the biggest challenges facing the energy sector today: how to power the AI revolution.
As data centre develop
Without Metals, there is no Energy Transition EP. 297 - Video Edition
This week on Energy Unplugged, Richard Howard, Aurora Energy Research's Global Research Director, is joined by Georgina Hallett, Chief Sustainability Officer & Head of Physical Markets at the London Metal Exchange (LME). The Energy Transition is often described as a shift from fossil fuels to clean electricity. But behind every solar panel, wind turbine, battery and transmission line sits anot
Without Metals, there is no Energy Transition EP. 297
This week on Energy Unplugged, Richard Howard, Aurora Energy Research's Global Research Director, is joined by Georgina Hallett, Chief Sustainability Officer & Head of Physical Markets at the London Metal Exchange (LME). The Energy Transition is often described as a shift from fossil fuels to clean electricity. But behind every solar panel, wind turbine, battery and transmission line sits anot
Designing Resilient Power Systems: Lessons from the Iberian Blackout Ep. 296
This week on Energy Unplugged, Richard Howard, Aurora Energy Research’s Global Research Director, is joined by Christina Rentell, Research Lead for Aurora’s French and Iberian power markets. Drawing on her expertise in renewable energy, battery storage, market design, and electricity system modelling, Christina helps explain what really caused the April 2025 Iberian blackout and what it means for
Designing Resilient Power Systems: Lessons from the Iberian Blackout EP.296 - Video Edition
This week on Energy Unplugged, Richard Howard, Aurora Energy Research’s Global Research Director, is joined by Christina Rentell, Research Lead for Aurora’s French and Iberian power markets. Drawing on her expertise in renewable energy, battery storage, market design, and electricity system modelling, Christina helps explain what really caused the April 2025 Iberian blackout and what it means for
The Solar Boom Meets the Grid, EP 295 - Video Edition
This week on the Energy Unplugged podcast, Richard Howard, Global Research Director, Aurora is joined by Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council, to discuss the state of the global solar industry and the opportunities and challenges that come with its rapid growth.
The conversation explores why solar deployment is experiencing a temporary slowdown in some markets despite continued long-term
The Solar Boom Meets the Grid, EP 295
This week on the Energy Unplugged podcast, Richard Howard, Global Research Director, Aurora is joined by Sonia Dunlop, CEO of the Global Solar Council, to discuss the state of the global solar industry and the opportunities and challenges that come with its rapid growth.
The conversation explores why solar deployment is experiencing a temporary slowdown in some markets despite continued long-term
SAWEM: Can South Africa Build a Competitive Power Market? EP. 294
In this episode of Energy Unplugged, two of Aurora’s energy market experts, Dan Monzani, Managing Director for UK, Ireland and South Africa, and Caroline Still, Market Lead - South Africa, examine one of the most ambitious electricity market reform programmes underway anywhere in the world.
Their conversation examines South Africa’s transition from a vertically integrated, state-led power system
SAWEM: Can South Africa Build a Competitive Power Market? EP. 294 - Video Edition
In this episode of Energy Unplugged, two of Aurora’s energy market experts, Dan Monzani, Managing Director for UK, Ireland and South Africa, and Caroline Still, Market Lead - South Africa, examine one of the most ambitious electricity market reform programmes underway anywhere in the world.
Their conversation examines South Africa’s transition from a vertically integrated, state-led power system
The Primary Energy Fallacy: Why Electrification Changes Everything, EP. 293 - Video Edition
This week on Energy Unplugged, Richard Howard, Aurora Energy Research’s Global Research Director, is joined by Jan Rosenow, Energy Programme Lead, Jackson Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Energy & Climate Policy at Oxford University.
Drawing on his latest research, Jan explores the concept of the “primary energy fallacy” - the mistaken assumption that the clean energy transition requir
The Primary Energy Fallacy: Why Electrification Changes Everything, EP. 293
This week on Energy Unplugged, Richard Howard, Aurora Energy Research’s Global Research Director, is joined by Jan Rosenow, Energy Programme Lead, Jackson Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Energy & Climate Policy at Oxford University.
Drawing on his latest research, Jan explores the concept of the “primary energy fallacy” - the mistaken assumption that the clean energy transition requir
How Does Germany Fix Its Grid Congestion Problem? EP. 292 - Video Edition
This week on the Energy Unplugged podcast, Casimir Lorenz, Managing Director for Central Europe at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Aurélie Alemany, CEO of enercity, to explore one of the most pressing questions facing Germany's energy transition: how can the country solve its growing grid congestion challenge?
Aurélie became CEO of enercity in July 2024, taking over as Chair of the Board of
How Does Germany Fix Its Grid Congestion Problem? EP. 292
This week on the Energy Unplugged podcast, Casimir Lorenz, Managing Director for Central Europe at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Aurélie Alemany, CEO of enercity, to explore one of the most pressing questions facing Germany's energy transition: how can the country solve its growing grid congestion challenge?
Aurélie became CEO of enercity in July 2024, taking over as Chair of the Board of
Designing Batteries for a Changing Grid, EP. 291
This week on Energy Unplugged, Joshua Margulies, Aurora’s Market Lead for France, is joined by Olivier Jacquemin, Head of Power Revenues at Amarenco, one of Europe’s leading independent power producers focused on solar PV and battery storage. With more than 20 years of experience across the energy sector, Olivier has played a key role in Amarenco’s expansion into the French battery storage market
EP. 290 AI, Flexibility and the Rise of the Autonomous Grid
This week on the Energy Unplugged podcast, Richard Howard is joined by Devrim Celal, Chief Marketing & Flexibility Officer, Kraken to explore how flexibility, AI and distributed energy resources are reshaping the future of electricity systems.
Devrim oversees flexibility and product capabilities at Kraken, the cloud-based platform that optimizes and orchestrates distributed energy resources i
EP. 290 AI, Flexibility and the Rise of the Autonomous Grid - Video
This week on the Energy Unplugged podcast, Richard Howard is joined by Devrim Celal, Chief Marketing & Flexibility Officer, Kraken to explore how flexibility, AI and distributed energy resources are reshaping the future of electricity systems.
Devrim oversees flexibility and product capabilities at Kraken, the cloud-based platform that optimizes and orchestrates distributed energy resources i
EP. 289 Lord Browne on the New Energy Equation: Security, AI and Decarbonisation
Recorded live at the Aurora Spring Forum 2026, this episode of Energy Unplugged features John Feddersen, Founder & CEO of Aurora Energy Research, in conversation with Lord John Browne of Madingley - former CEO of BP and one of the most influential figures in global energy and industrial innovation; currently serving as the Chairman of BeyondNetZero and co-Chair of the UK Prime Minister’s Counc
EP. 289 Lord Browne on the New Energy Equation: Security, AI and Decarbonisation - Video
Recorded live at the Aurora Spring Forum 2026, this episode of Energy Unplugged features John Feddersen, Founder & CEO of Aurora Energy Research, in conversation with Lord John Browne of Madingley - former CEO of BP and one of the most influential figures in global energy and industrial innovation; currently serving as the Chairman of BeyondNetZero and co-Chair of the UK Prime Minister’s Counc
EP. 288 Building the Backbone of the Energy Transition
This week on Energy Unplugged, Pierre Dennery, Aurora’s outgoing Country Head for France, is joined by Dominique Ferreira, Global Brand Director for Omexom, the energy infrastructure brand of VINCI Energies.
Recorded live at the Building Beyond Conference in Paris, hosted by Leonard, VINCI's foresight and innovation platform. The conversation explores the growing importance of grid infrastructur
EP. 288 Building the Backbone of the Energy Transition - Video
This week on Energy Unplugged, Pierre Dennery, Aurora’s outgoing Country Head for France, is joined by Dominique Ferreira, Global Brand Director for Omexom, the energy infrastructure brand of VINCI Energies.
Recorded live at the Building Beyond Conference in Paris, hosted by Leonard, VINCI's foresight and innovation platform. The conversation explores the growing importance of grid infrastructur
EP. 287 Elias Saba on Battery Economics, Risk and the Future of Storage
This week on Energy Unplugged, Hugo Batten, Managing Director of APAC for Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Elias Saba, Chief Commercial Officer of Eku Energy, and Lara Panjkov, Aurora’s Head of Research in APAC. Together, they explore how battery storage economics are evolving across Australia and Japan, and how shifting market dynamics are reshaping investment strategies.
Elias leads Eku’s gl
EP. 286 Beyond Buildout: Brazil’s Next Power Market Evolution
This week on Energy Unplugged, Rodrigo Borges, Market Lead for Brazil at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Veronica Coelho, Country Manager & SVP at Equinor, and Roberto Colindres, CEO of Rio Energy. Together, they explore how Brazil’s power sector is entering a new phase of development – where system optimisation, rather than pure capacity growth, will define the next cycle of investment.
EP. 285 Inside Grid Congestion: An Aurora Deep Dive
This week on Energy Unplugged, in the first of our new video series, Richard Howard, Global Head of Research at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Marc Hedin, Head of Research for West Europe and Africa at Aurora Energy Research, to explore one of the most pressing challenges in power markets today: grid congestion.
Together, they unpack why curtailment is rising rapidly across Europe as renewab
EP. 284 Luuk Veeken on navigating volatility in Europe’s power markets
This week on Energy Unplugged, Claudia Gunter is joined by Luuk Veeken, CEO and co-founder of Dexter Energy. Together, they explore how rising renewable penetration is driving short-term power market volatility – and why success increasingly depends on mastering real-time trading and forecasting.
Luuk explains how the shift from predictable, subsidy-backed renewables to weather-driven, merchant a
EP. 283 Offshore Wind Reset: Duncan Clark on What Comes Next
This week on Energy Unplugged, Richard Howard, Global Director of Research at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Nick Civetta, Project Leader at Aurora Energy Research, and Duncan Clark, Board Member at Renewable UK and former Head of Europe Development at Ørsted. In this episode experts unpack what recent allocation rounds mean for offshore wind project economics, and why the UK’s 50GW target i
EP.282 Daniel Gerber on Power Electronics and the Future of Grid Stability
This week on Energy Unplugged, Reece Jackson, Senior Product Manager - Grid, Aurora, is joined by Daniel Gerber, Global Business Line Manager for Renewable Power and Motion High Power at ABB. Together, they explore how rising renewable penetration, electrification, and new demand sources are reshaping grid stability - and the critical role power electronics will play in maintaining reliable power
EP. 281 Data Center Load Growth and the Future of the US Grid
This week on Energy Unplugged, Julia Hoos, Aurora’s Head of USA East, is joined by Lizzie Bonahoom, Senior Associate - North America Tech & Policy, and Jack Graham, Senior Associate - PJM Research at Aurora. Together, they explore the challenges of supplying data centers with power in the U.S., and how surging AI demand, interconnection constraints, and market dynamics are reshaping the electr
EP. 280 From Ambition to Execution: Grids, Coal and Capital in APAC
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re joined by Randolph Brazier, Global Head of Clean Power Systems at HSBC. He speaks with Hugo Batten, Aurora’s Managing Director APAC, and Lara Panjkov, Head of Research APAC, to examine the practical realities of delivering the energy transition across Asia-Pacific - from grid stability and storage build-out to coal repowering and transition finance.
Randolph l
EP. 279 AI-Driven Demand and the New Power Investment Cycle
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re joined by Steven Mandel, Partner at TPG Rise Climate, in conversation with Oliver Kerr, Aurora’s Managing Director for North America. Together, they explore how institutional capital is responding to policy volatility, surging load growth, and the growing influence of AI on US power markets.
Steven helps lead investments across power, electrification, and the
EP. 278 Nat Bullard on Decarbonisation in the Age of AI
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re joined by Nat Bullard, co-founder of Halcyon, an AI-enabled energy information platform, and one of the sector’s most influential data storytellers. He joins Hugo Batten, Aurora’s Managing Director APAC, and Oliver Kerr, Aurora’s Managing Director USA, to unpack the 2026 edition of his annual “Decarbonisation” presentation - a sweeping, data-led assessment of w
EP. 277 Michael Lewis on Delivering the Transition at System Scale
As part of a special live edition of Energy Unplugged, recorded from the podcast booth at E-World in Essen, Hanns Koenig, Managing Directore EMEA for Aurora Energy Research, sits down with Michael Lewis, CEO of Uniper, to discuss the realities of leading a major European energy company at the heart of the transition.
Drawing on three decades in the sector - from building E.ON’s offshore wind busi
EP. 276 Scaling the Energy Transition: Flexibility, Capital and Execution
In this episode of Energy Unplugged, Simon De Clercq is joined by Pieter-Jan Mermans, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Junction Growth Investors, to explore how Europe’s energy transition is shifting from rapid build-out to a more operationally complex phase. Reflecting on the last decade of renewables, electrification and storage growth, they discuss why today’s biggest challenges are no longer
EP. 275 - Systemic Reform and the Future of Britain’s Energy System
This week on Energy Unplugged, we share a keynote address from Jonathan Brearley, Chief Executive of Ofgem, recorded live at Aurora’s Energy Transition Summit in London. Jonathan sets out why the UK’s energy transition now requires deep systemic reform -moving beyond a purely market-led model towards a more strategic, coordinated approach to planning, regulation and delivery. Drawing on lessons fr
EP.274 – From Grid Bottlenecks to Battery Value: Europe’s Storage Markets Evolve
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re joined by Steffen Schülzchen, Founder and CEO of Entrix, and Constantin Nicklas, Head of Sales at Entrix, for a discussion on how grid congestion is reshaping battery storage investment across Europe. They join Claudia Gunter, Senior Research Lead at Aurora, to focus on why network constraints have become a defining challenge for batteries, and how flexible con
EP. 273 - From the C-Suite: What Next for Britain’s Energy Transition
This week on Energy Unplugged, we bring you a live panel discussion from Aurora’s Energy Transition Summit, moderated by Camilla Palladino, Deputy Head of Lex at the Financial Times. She is joined by Jonathan Brearley, CEO of Ofgem; Dame Dawn Childs, CEO of Pure Data Centres Group; and Keith Anderson, CEO of Scottish Power, for a wide-ranging debate on whether Britain’s energy transition can remai
EP.272 – Renewables at Scale: Flexibility, Grids and the Future Power System
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re joined by Ana Marques, Executive Board Member at EDP. She joins Ana Barillas, Aurora’s Managing Director for Iberia & LatAm, to explore how flexibility, grids, and system resilience are becoming central to the next phase of the energy transition, alongside continued growth in wind and solar.
Ana sits on EDP’s Executive Board and oversees the group’s global
EP.271 - Flexibility, Batteries and the Future of Europe’s Power System
This week on Energy Unplugged, Jesse Hetema, Aurora’s Head of the Netherlands and Belgium, is joined by Simon Bushell, Founder and CEO of Sympower, to explore why flexibility has become a critical pillar of Europe’s energy transition. They discuss how rising price volatility, negative prices and grid congestion are shifting the focus from pure decarbonisation towards system resilience, and why dem
EP.270 Review of 2025: Insights from the Global Energy Transition with 12 Aurora Experts
2025 has been a landmark year for the global energy sector and the energy transition, marked by rapid change and significant challenges.
Aurora has brought together the key themes shaping the energy transition into a special end of year report and accompanying podcast – hosted by our Global Research Director, Richard Howard and with contributions from 12 Aurora experts from Aurora’s global network
EP.269 – Ofgem’s Steve McMahon on Grid Investment, Faster Delivery and Net-Zero Needs
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Steve McMahon, Ofgem’s Director for Network Price Controls. He joins Dan Monzani, Aurora’s Managing Director for the UK & Ireland, to unpack Ofgem’s final determinations for RIIO-3 and what the next regulatory period means for networks, consumers and investors. The discussion explores the scale of required electricity and gas network in
EP.268 – Elevion’s Mariglen Nora on Europe’s Renewable, Storage & Biomethane Momentum
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Mariglen Nora, Head of the Green Energy Segment at Elevion Group, joining Casimir Lorenz, Aurora’s Market Lead for Central Europe & the Nordics, for a deep dive into how European renewable and flexibility markets are evolving across Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK, and beyond.
Mariglen oversees Elevion’s portfolio of specialist
EP.267 – Matt Kean on Australia’s Energy Transition, Policy Reform & Climate Leadership
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome the Honourable Matt Kean, Chair of Australia’s Climate Change Authority and Director at Wollemi. He joins Hugo Batten, Aurora’s Managing Director for APAC, and James Ha, Aurora’s Head of Research for APAC, for a deep conversation on how Australia is reshaping its energy system - through policy reform, market design, and strategic investment
EP.266 – Brookfield’s Nawal Saini on India’s Renewable & Transition Investment
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Nawal Saini, Managing Partner in Brookfield’s Renewable Power & Transition Group. He joins Dan Monzani, Aurora’s Managing Director for the UK & Ireland and India, alongside Debabrata Ghosh, Aurora’s Head of India, for a deep dive into how renewable deployment and transition investment are accelerating in India and other emerging mar
EP.265 – Karol Wolański & Roch Baranowski on Poland’s Power Market Transition
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Karol Wolański, Head of Flexibility & Aggregation at Respect Energy, and Roch Baranowski, Chief Strategy Officer at Respect Energy Holding. They join Piotr Dobrzynski, Aurora's Market Lead for Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia, to discuss how Poland and the wider CEE power markets are evolving in response to renewable growth, regulatory ref
EP.264 Anna von Bremen on Green vs. Grey: Making Germany’s Energy Market Work
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Anna von Bremen, Partner and Head of Energy Innovation at Osborne Clarke. She joins Nico Leicht, Project Leader in Aurora’s Berlin Advisory Team, to discuss market design, regulatory frameworks, and innovation in the German power sector.
Anna brings deep expertise in energy regulation and co-located battery storage projects, advising on bot
EP.263 Marcio Trannin and Ricardo Motoyama on Power Shift: How Brazil is Navigating Renewables and Market Transformation
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Marcio Trannin, Managing Director for LATAM at Sunco Capital and Vice-President of the Board of Administrators at ABSOLAR, and Ricardo Motoyama, Senior Vice President of Commercial & Business Development at Elera Renewables. They join Rodrigo Borges, Aurora’s Market Lead for Brazil, to explore how Brazil’s liberalising power market, rap
EP.262 Tom Palmer on Powering the Grid: The Growing Role of Large-Scale Battery Storage
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Tom Palmer, Head of Business Development in Zenobē’s Network Infrastructure business. He joins Malvika Gode, Senior Associate at Aurora Energy Research, to explore how large-scale battery storage is transforming grid stability and enabling the transition to a fully renewable power system.
Tom is an economist by background and brings a wealt
EP.261 Martin Daronnat on Structuring the Future: How FPAs Are Powering Europe’s Battery Revolution
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Martin Daronnat, Head of Flexibility & Structured Origination at ENGIE . He joins Casimir Lorenz, Aurora’s Managing Director for Central Europe, for a deep dive into the emerging market for flexibility purchase agreements (FPAs) and their role in financing and operating large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS).
Martin has over
EP.260 Lawson Steele on Hydrogen, Storage Solutions and Decarbonising the UK Grid
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re joined by Lawson Steele, CEO of Haldane Energy, to explore the strategic and practical role of hydrogen in long-duration energy storage and the UK’s energy transition. Marten Ford, who leads Aurora’s work in GBN Ireland on low-carbon fuels and hydrogen, guides the conversation through the challenges and opportunities facing the UK’s power system over the next d
EP.259 Juan Carlos Jobet on Chile’s Energy Transition
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Juan Carlos Jobet, former Chilean Minister of Energy and Mining and now Dean of the Business School at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez. He joins José Muñoz, Aurora’s Country Lead for Chile, to discuss Chile’s path to a cleaner, more resilient energy system, from the coal phase-out and renewable growth to the country’s ambitions in green hydrogen
EP.258 Ben Guest on Batteries, Flexibility and the Future of the UK Grid
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Ben Guest, Managing Director and Head of Gresham House Energy Transition, as well as Fund Manager of the Gresham House Energy Storage Fund. He joins Caroline Still, Principal in our Oxford Advisory team, to discuss the role of storage and flexibility in enabling the UK’s energy transition.
Ben has over two decades of experience in the energ
EP.257 Karin Burns on Community Choice Aggregators and the Clean Energy Transition in California
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Karin Burns, CEO of San Diego Community Power (SDCP). She joins Oliver Kerr, Aurora’s Managing Director for North America, and Farhad Billimoria, Head of US West Research, to discuss the rise of community choice aggregation (CCA) and its role in accelerating California’s clean energy transition.
Karin has led SDCP since 2022, overseeing its
EP.256 Helen Clarkson on Business and Policy in the Global Climate Transition
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Helen Clarkson, CEO of Climate Group. She joins Richard Howard, Aurora’s Global Research Director, to discuss the role of business and government in accelerating the transition to net zero.
Helen has led Climate Group since 2017, overseeing initiatives such as RE100, EV100, SteelZero, and the Under2 Coalition, which mobilise companies and g
EP.255 Philip Hirschhorn and Tim Nelson on the Future of Australia’s Wholesale Market
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Philip Hirschhorn, Ministerial Appointee to the NEM Wholesale Market Settings Review Expert Panel, and Tim Nelson, Chair of the independent review of Australia’s NEM. They join Hugo Batten, Aurora’s Managing Director for APAC, and Hana Ramli, Principal in our Australian Advisory team, to discuss the draft recommendations of the Wholesale Ma
EP.254 Heather Reams on Conservative Leadership in US Clean Energy Policy
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Heather Reams, President and CEO of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES). She joins Oliver Kerr, Aurora’s Managing Director for North America, to discuss the role of conservative leadership in driving clean energy policy and the prospects for bipartisan cooperation.
Heather has led CRES since 2016, building its role as a leading
EP.253 Christoph Bellin on Battery Storage and Pumped Hydro in Europe
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Christoph Bellin, Head of Development & Projects at Alpiq. He joins Claudia Günther, our Research Lead for Northwestern Europe, to explore the evolving roles of flexible assets like battery storage and pumped hydro in Europe’s energy transition.
Christoph is a senior energy executive with over two decades of experience in the European e
EP.252 Elyette Roux on Grid Deployment and Supply Chain Challenges
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Elyette Roux, Executive Vice President for the Power Grid market division at Nexans, and Managing Director of the company’s Accessories Business Unit. She joins Pierre Dennery, Aurora’s Country Head for France, to examine the global challenges of deploying the grid infrastructure required for the energy transition.
Elyette joined Nexans in
EP.251 Ben Wilson, President, National Grid Ventures
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Ben Wilson, President of National Grid Ventures. He joins Dan Monzani, our Managing Director for UK & Ireland, to explore how infrastructure, interconnectors and electrification are shaping the future of the UK and global energy systems.
Ben sits on the Executive Committee of National Grid and was appointed President of NGV in August 20
EP.250 Robert Brook on Grid Modernisation and Resilience in the US
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Robert Brook, SVP and Managing Director of the Americas at Neara. He joins our Managing Director for North America, Oliver Kerr, to discuss the evolving state of grid infrastructure in the US and the technologies poised to transform it.
Robert brings over 30 years of experience across the energy and information technology sectors. A recogni
EP.249 The Data Centre Surge: AI’s Impact on Power Demand and Grid Planning
In this episode, we explore how the explosive growth of AI is driving a rapid expansion of data centres, and how this surge is reshaping power systems and energy infrastructure around the world. Richard Howard, Aurora’s Global Research Director, is joined by Malavika Gode, Senior Associate in our UK Advisory team, to unpack the energy implications of this accelerating global trend and what it mean
EP.248 Harrison Moore on the Investment Landscape in Australia
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Harrison Moore, Head of Energy and Renewables at Azure Capital. He joins our Head of Australia, Weije Mak and Laura Perez del Olmo, Advisory Associate in our Sydney office to discuss the investment landscape in Australia for power and renewable assets.
Harrison has over 15 years of experience in corporate advisory, working across a wide var
EP.247 Rosheen McGuckian, CEO, NTR
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Rosheen McGuckian, CEO, NTR. She joins our Head of Research for Western Europe & India, Marc Hedin, and Steph Unsworth, Research Senior Associate in our Oxford office, to discuss the consequences of grid constraints in European countries.
Rosheen serves as the Chief Executive Officer of NTR, a leading investor and asset manager in Europ
EP.246 Jürgen Mayerhofer, CEO & Co-Founder, enspired
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Jürgen Mayerhofer, CEO & Co-Founder of enspired. He joins our Managing Director for Iberia & LATAM, Ana Barillas, to discuss battery optimisation.
Jürgen holds an MBA in energy management and has worked in the energy sector for 20 years, contributing to the expansion of renewables in the grid in various expert positions. Under his l
EP.245 Matt Grover on Battery Dispatch and Economics
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Matt Grover, Director of Energy Markets at Fluence in Australia. He joins our Managing Director for APAC, Hugo Batten, and our Head of Research in APAC, James Ha, to discuss battery dispatch and economics.
At Fluence in Australia, Matt leads the team responsible for the company’s Mosaic software product, which supports dozens of renewable g
EP.244 Mallika Ishwaran, Chief Economist, Shell
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Mallika Ishwaran, Chief Economist, Shell. She joins our Managing Director for APAC, Hugo Batten, and our Global Research Director, Richard Howard, to discuss Shell’s 2025 Energy Security Scenarios.
As Shell’s Chief Economist, Mallika advises on macroeconomic issues, economic trends, and related policy matters, shaping Shell’s long-term scen
EP.243 Tom Glover, UK Country Chair, RWE
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Tom Glover, UK Country Chair, RWE. He joins Caroline Still, Project Leader in our Oxford Advisory team, to discuss the main challenges GB’s power sector is facing.
As RWE’s UK Country Chair and Chair of the RWE UK Renewables Boards, Tom serves as the company’s most senior representative in the UK. He is responsible for leading national-leve
EP.242 Jonathan Dillon on Clean Energy Investment Trends in Europe
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Jonathan Dillon, Partner at Clifford Chance. He joins our Global Research Director, Richard Howard, to discuss clean energy investment trends in Europe.
Jonathan specialises in domestic and cross-border M&A for clean energy, renewables, and brownfield infrastructure assets. He advises private equity, infrastructure funds and other finan
EP.241 Margaret Cooney on New Zealand’s Power Market
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Margaret Cooney, Chief Operating Officer at Octopus Energy in New Zealand. She joins our Managing Director for APAC, Hugo Batten, and our Head of Australia, Weije Mak, to discuss New Zealand’s power market.
Prior to Octopus Energy, Margaret was the Head of Powershop in New Zealand. She has also held roles at Meridian in New Zealand, and at
EP.240 Jacob Stedman, CEO, Blykalla
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Jacob Stedman, CEO of Blykalla. He joins our Head of Nordics & Baltics, Alexander Esser, to discuss the role of nuclear energy and, more specifically, of small modular reactors (SMRs).
Jacob is the CEO of Blykalla, a Swedish company specialising in the development and supply of lead-cooled SMRs. He is an accomplished entrepreneur and bu
EP.239 Dawn Owens on Geothermal Power in the US
This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Dawn Owens, Head of Project Development and Commercial Markets at Fervo Energy. She joins our Managing Director for North America, Oliver Kerr, and Emma McElrath, Advisory Associate in our Oakland office, to discuss geothermal power in the US.
In addition to overseeing the development of the geothermal company Fervo Energy, Dawn also serves
