Power Plays

Recorded 30 June – We explore how engineering, software and market design are reshaping AI infrastructure and electricity systems. Charlotte examines three stories linked by a common theme: making existing infrastructure dramatically more productive. From NVIDIA's warm-water cooling technology and AI-powered water heaters to the largest virtual power plant ever assembled, we explore how AI is driv...

Recorded 21st June. Lucy joins from a sweltering London, while Charlotte records from Lake Tahoe after racing the Broken Arrow Skyrace with The North Face team. We cover three stories spanning UK energy politics, FERC 2222, and rare-earth supply chains: Andy Burnham, Labour and the Future of UK Energy Policy Lucy looks at Andy Burnham’s election to Parliament in Makerfield and what it could mean f...

Recorded 14th June - Part 2: This episode was so packed that we’re releasing it in two parts, so we don’t have to cut any of the good bits. Here in Part 2, Lucy picks up the theme of state intervention in energy markets - looking at where governments are trying to shape, correct or accelerate the energy transition. First up: the European Union’s plans to expand carbon pricing for extra-EU aviation...

Recorded 14th June: Charlotte and Lucy are both in the US this week - Charlotte in San Francisco and Lucy in Boston. This episode was so packed that we’re releasing it in two parts, so we don’t have to cut any of the good bits. Here in Part 1, Charlotte dives into the nuclear supply chain - not just reactors, but the materials, processing and fuel infrastructure needed to make nuclear power possib...

Recorded 7th June. In this episode, we catch up after Charlotte’s set the record for the Fastest Known Time running the Camino de Santiago, and Lucy being elected as a local councillor. We then dive into four major energy stories spanning cutting-edge battery technologies, industrial decarbonisation, coal policy, and mine safety. Nyobolt's $60M Series C: The Future of Ultra-Fast Charging Nyobolt h...

This week on Power Plays (recorded May 13th, 2026), we are joined by a guest co-host, Henry Sanderson, while Charlotte completes an epic run in Spain. Henry is the author of Volt Rush, former journalist at Bloomberg and the Financial Times, and fellow at RUSI and Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. This week we cover: Trump's trip to China - why is he going, what will he ask for in the negotiatio...

Recorded 2nd May 2026: This week we explore the forces reshaping distribution level power systems, the UK's new energy policy announcements, and the progress of fossil fuel phase-out after a historic conference in Colombia. Part One: DERs, VPPs, and the Grid Edge Stories from Octopus Energy, Uplight, Lunar Energy, & Span all point to the grid becoming more distributed, more intelligent, and mo...

Recorded 18th April 2026: This week we explore the forces reshaping heavy industry in the energy transition — from the role of of coal in global power systems to the rapidly evolving race to build low-carbon steel. In this episode: What the latest data says about global coal demand Why mining costs are rising - and how producers are responding The financing and technology choices shaping new green...

Recorded Sunday 12th April. we look at three forces reshaping the battery industry: Sodium-ion as a new chemistry moving toward commercialization, a new infrastructure model enabling heavy transport electrification, and a reminder that capital intensity can bankrupt even promising solutions. 1) Are Sodium Batteries Finally Ready for the Grid? - Inside Peak Energy's Sodium ion system: What is a sod...

Recorded Sunday 29th March. Two very different stories highlight the complexity of the energy transition - from industrial decarbonisation in steel and cement to the increasingly political battle over offshore wind in the US and UK. Key topics: Why steel slag matters for low-carbon cement How electric arc furnaces (EAFs) are reshaping industrial waste How Cocoon Carbon could decarbonise both steel...

Live from Octopus Energy HQ: Over-hyped, Under-hyped, or Hyped-Just-Right? Introducing the origin story of Power Plays and celebrating with a live audience event hosted by Octopus Energy in London. We gave the audience six recent talking points in energy and asked them to vote: over-hyped, under-hyped, or hyped just right? The results weren't always what we expected. We also opened the floor to au...

Recorded Sunday 15th March – In this episode we examine how the escalating Middle East conflict is moving beyond oil and gas headlines into the wider industrial systems that underpin the global economy. We focus on how disruption is transmitted through refined fuels, fertilizers, industrial gases and metals supply chains — and why these second-order effects often shape inflation, food prices, manu...

Recorded Sunday 8th March – In this episode we examine the energy implications of the escalating Middle East conflict and the dynamics often missing from mainstream coverage. We explore how energy shocks move through global markets - from shipping insurance and LNG logistics to foreign exchange pressures and electricity system design. The discussion moves region by region - examining why the impac...

Recorded on Monday 2nd March. We discuss the first energy market reactions to the escalating Middle East conflict and what it reveals about global supply chains. We also explore Google’s new data-centre energy strategy, Form Energy’s push to commercialise 100-hour batteries, and how distributed storage can help free up capacity to bring more capacity online faster. Initial energy shocks from the M...

Recorded 22 February 2026. Episode Discussion Points: Two solid-state transformer startups raised major funding this week Why transformers are a critical bottleneck in grid expansion and amidst modernisation pressures Differences between traditional iron-core transformers and solid-state transformers How SSTs use semiconductor power electronics and software control What the benefits of SSTs are Wh...

Recorded 15th February. Delivering the energy transition increasingly depends on the inputs required: materials availability, processing capacity, & the industrial policy that determines what actually gets built. Rising demand for critical minerals is driving supply-security concerns, strategic stockpiles, recycling scale-up, & copper innovation. It’s also increasingly shaping industrial i...

Recorded Feb 6th 2026. Access to electricity and speed to power remain defining challenges, but the deeper issue emerging is how to ensure deliverable capacity at the exact moment demand peaks, which is increasingly critical for grid reliability. With transmission projects often taking a decade, substation upgrades costly and contentious, and new generation facing interconnection delays, this week...

Recorded 30th January 2026. With AI, hyperscalers, and the broader ‘electrification of everything’ accelerating demand for clean, firm, and reliable power, capital markets are beginning to reopen to fund it. As speed-to-power becomes the decisive factor, strategy is moving upstream toward how electricity is secured, controlled, and delivered efficiently. This shift shows up clearly in the week’s d...

Recorded Jan 16th 2026. Exponential demand growth and AI mean the 2026 conversation is shifting from simply ‘power and data centres' to who can actually build what and when, as clean, reliable electrons grow scarce. We track this shift through the week’s deal headlines, which show how electricity constraint propagates upward from rack-level efficiency and inference per MW, to securing alternative...