Plugged In: the energy news podcast

Ten European countries in Europe came together in Hamburg earlier this week to sign a commitment to deliver 100GW of offshore wind in the North Sea - a move the German energy minister labelled as "a historic moment for Europe." After a year of failed auctions and cancelled wind projects across some countries in Europe, does this "pact" reveal Europe's commitment to energy...

This week, US President Donald Trump confirmed his plans to annex Greenland, threatening European members of NATO with higher tariffs if they try to stand in his way.  Despite European leaders expressing messages of defiance and retaliation to these threats from the US, does Europe's reliance on the US for its LNG - and the tariffs negotiated as part of the 2025 EU-US deal - leave the contine...

In this week's episode, we take a trip to the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland to visit the Svartsengi power Station. Located only several hundred metres from several active volcanoes, the 85 MW geothermal plant has withstood 12 eruptions over the past few years - only shutting down once when power lines actually melted.   Richard sits down with HS Orka's CEO to find out exactly how this r...

One week into the new year, and President Trump is continuing his mission to tear up the prevailing international order, creating further incertainty for global oil and gas markets following his attack on Venezuela and the arrest of its President, Nicolás Maduro. Meanwhile, Denmark has replied to US threats to annex Greenland, and Russia continues to target Ukraine's power infrastructure, des...

Negative power prices, geopolitical tension, energy policy, batteries and strengthening the grid - what's in store for Europe's energy markets in 2026?    In our first episode of the new year, Richard sits down with Montel's Editors from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Nordics, and the UK to review the key events from 2025, and discuss the headlines predicted to affect Europe&apo...

How could our Christmas leftovers, such as rejected potatoes and 'pottail' from whisky distilleries, fuel the energy transition?  In our final episode for 2025, Richard sits down with a company in Scotland to discuss how they produce bio-based green chemicals from food and drink byproducts, and how these greener alternatives are already helping pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries wean...

It's been a busy first year for the EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen. The Iberian blackout, grid congestion, curtailment of renewable energy and a record number of negative prices. How does he plan to tackle some of these issues in 2026? In this episode, Richard sits down with the EU´s top energy official in the heart of the European Commission to discuss the details of his grids package...

The global LNG market has been tight since 2022, with prices remaining around USD 10/MMbtu (about EUR 30/MWh).   However, with the one-year countdown to the complete phase-out of Russian gas starting next month, and a new wave of LNG capacity from the US and Qatar expected to come online from next year - could prices drop as low as USD 7/MMbtu?   In this episode, Richard sits down with LNG analyst...

Has the flagship climate conference of the parties (COP) lost its touch?  One week after the closing of the annual COP conference,  we  examine the deals - or non-deals - that  came out of the two weeks of negotiations, and why the EU failed in its negotiations to deliver a  plan for the global transitioning away from fossil-fuels.  Richard speaks to Lord Adair Turner about the pressure from petro...

Germany boasts the biggest economy in Europe. Yet energy-intensive industries in the country are struggling with high energy costs versus their global competitors.  The German government has said it will aim to lower the cost of power to EUR 50/MWh - far below current wholesale prices - from 1 January 2026 with the launch of its new industry power price. What are the implications for German compan...

In recent months, political opposition towards renewable energy policies in the UK has been on a steady rise, as commitment to deliver "cheaper power" starts to overtake the ambition to have "clean power". Energy affordability is firmly back on the agenda. In the drive to deliver green targets have politicians overhyped the implications of a move to a decarbonized power system?...

In October, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol - the world’s most widely used carbon accounting framework - launched two public consultations, inviting input from professionals across the industry to share their thoughts on proposed changes to the current guidance for scope 2 carbon emissions and market-based accounting.   But what are the changes? How do they affect big businesses on a global leve...

Anyone who has visited Norway in recent years will be struck at the advance the country has made with electric vehicles and its charging infrastructure. Should this be rolled out across Europe, EVs could consume just over 100 TWh by 2030. What will be the impact on  grids, heavy goods transport and supply chains? Listen to a discussion on the challenges faced in the electrification of transport, e...

European gas storage levels are lower compared to the same time last year, but many market participants are fairly confident that there will be enough of the fossil fuel for the months ahead. However, the weather remains the uncertain factor with some experts estimating that gas prices could jump more than 30% if Europe is hit with very cold temperatures this winter. What’s the outlook for prices...

Long-term renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) have been in steady decline across parts of Europe, thanks to low wholesale prices and a volatile market. Yet some short-term standardised PPA products have seen encouraging uptake — could those be a blueprint to restart the broader market?  Richard speaks with German trading company FlexPower about pricing dynamics, contract structure and risk...

April's huge blackout across the Iberian peninsula, and parts of France, triggered a storm of debate In Spain and more widely across Europe. Despite the publication of several reports, questions remain over the cause of the outage, what lessons the country’s power system has learned from it and how to strengthen grid resilience, In this episode, Richard Sverrisson speaks to local experts to u...

The new 15-minute day-ahead auctions went live this week, marking one of the most significant changes in the European power market to date. In this episode - recorded 48 hours after the first auction - Richard reviews the launch with senior commentators from power exchange Nord Pool, Energy Traders Europe, and Montel Analytics. They discuss how market participants across Europe have fared under th...

Last week, the UK Prime Minister was the latest leader in Europe to announce his commitment to nuclear energy production by announcing plans to build "a fleet" of small modular reactors (SMRs). The UK's announcement followed similar plans elsewhere in Europe over the last year. Why are we seeing the focus shift from larger nuclear plants to small modular reactors? In this episode, R...

Earlier this week, Europe’s benchmark carbon price climbed by over 1 EUR to reach a seven-month high. Could it continue to rise?  As companies across the EU rush to meet the EU ETS deadline on the 30th September, investment funds’ increase their net long exposure in EU carbon allowances and lower supply could drive the price of EUAs higher.  In this episode, Richard speaks to Veyt's Carbon An...

The US-EU USD 750bn energy deal announced at the end of July left many observers scratching their heads, not least because of the eye watering sums involved. However, European heavy industry, steel and aluminium in particular, were left facing a 50% US import tariff.  The uncertainty for Europe's steel and aluminium companies has prompted issues of "scrap leakage" and imports of mat...

In March 2025, the balancing price in all of the Swedish price zones crashed to the technical floor of EUR -10,000/MWh - setting off a trend of volatile prices and turbulent balancing markets in the Nordics. Six months on, small producers and certain market actors in the region are struggling to navigate a complex system and differing responses from TSOs across the region, with many market partici...

Volatile prices, falling liquidity and declining profitability are some of the many headwinds the Nordic power market faces in the months ahead. In addition, could political meddling create more damage to the highly complex and problematic market? And why are public misunderstandings about the issue fuelling political debate? In this episode, Richard speaks to our guests at the Montel Nordic Energ...

According to a recent report from Montel Analytics, the UK and Ireland curtailed GBP 152m of renewable energy in the first half of 2025. Is this counter productive to the UK’s green and clean energy goals? Who foots the bill? Is the lack of adequate infrastructure in Europe’s grid hindering the green energy transition? In this episode, Richard speaks to the author of the report and Renewable UK ab...

Temperatures reached 40C across Europe this week in the latest of several heatwaves which have engulfed the continent this summer.   In response, power prices soared in many regions, with countries like France curbing nuclear power production because rivers – used for cooling purposes –  became too warm. In this week’s episode, Richard discuss the impact of rising temperatures on power production,...

It’s been 10 years since the Paris Climate Agreement entered intro force. Yet, tariffs, trade wars, and the reversal of the US’s climate policies are putting the global energy transition at risk.   Where does this leave the relationship between the EU, the US, and other global trading partners? And should Europe’s solar and wind developers shun Chinese products?  In this week’s episode, Richard sp...