EP. 290 AI, Flexibility and the Rise of the Autonomous Grid

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 development accelerates across the United States, electricity has emerged as a critical constraint on growth. Utilities face mounting pressure to connect large new loads, while grid infrastructure, planning processes, and regulatory frameworks struggle to keep pace with demand.  Oliver and Seyed discuss why flexibility may be one of the most powerful tools available to relieve pressure on the grid. From behind-the-meter batteries and on-site generation to smarter software and new planning approaches, the conversation explores how large electricity users could become active participants in the power system rather than simply consumers of it.    The discussion also examines the role of data centres in reshaping electricity markets, the growing importance of “speed to power”, and the policy reforms needed to unlock grid capacity more quickly. As the AI race intensifies, the challenge is not just building more generation and transmission - it is finding smarter ways to use the infrastructure that already exists.     You will learn about:  * Why electricity has become a critical bottleneck for AI and data centre growth.  * How flexible demand and behind-the-meter resources can help unlock grid capacity.  * Why software is becoming increasingly important in power system planning and optimisation.  * How the AI boom could reshape electricity demand, grid investment, and power markets over the coming decade.

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 another story - one built from copper, aluminium, nickel and other critical metals.  As governments and businesses race towards net zero, demand for these materials is surging. Yet growing supply is far from straightforward. The world needs more mining, more processing, and more investment, while simultaneously facing rising expectations around environmental performance, transparency, and responsible sourcing.  Richard and Georgina explore whether the energy transition is, in reality, a metals transition. They discuss the scale of the challenge facing global supply chains, the increasingly strategic importance of critical minerals, and whether security of supply, affordability and sustainability can all be achieved at the same time.  The conversation also lifts the lid on the hidden machinery of global metals markets. Georgina explains how the London Metal Exchange helps price and manage risk across some of the world's most important commodities, and why transparency is becoming a critical ingredient in the transition to a lower-carbon economy.  You will learn:  * Why metals are becoming one of the defining constraints - and opportunities - of the energy transition.  * Whether critical mineral supply can keep pace with growing electrification and net-zero ambitions.  * How sustainability standards, traceability and transparency are reshaping global metals markets.  * Why sustainable metals could increasingly command a premium.  * How critical minerals are becoming central to energy security, industrial strategy and geopolitics.

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 power systems operating with high levels of renewable generation.  Together, they take a deep dive into the April 2025 blackout, which left around 60 million people across Spain and Portugal without power for up to 18 hours. Richard and Christina unpack the events that led to the outage, examine the role of record-breaking solar generation, and explore whether renewables were truly to blame for one of Europe’s most significant power system disruptions in recent history.  The discussion looks beyond the headlines to investigate the technical causes of the blackout, including voltage instability, system oscillations, and the lack of sufficient inertia and flexibility services on the grid. Christina explains why a highly renewable power system requires new operational tools, market mechanisms, and grid capabilities, and why the blackout was ultimately as much a challenge of system design as it was of renewable penetration.  You will learn:  * Why the Iberian blackout was not caused by renewables alone, but by the interaction between high renewable penetration and insufficient system readiness.  * How voltage instability, oscillations, and a lack of inertia triggered a cascading failure across the Iberian grid.  * Why are batteries, storage technologies, and ancillary service markets becoming essential for reliable power system operation.  * How Spain’s grid operators and policymakers have responded through new market mechanisms, enhanced system visibility, and operational reforms.  * What the blackout reveals about the challenges of managing curtailment, grid congestion, and investment risk in increasingly renewable-dominated power systems.

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 growth, the impact of China's evolving electricity market, and the growing importance of battery storage in managing curtailment, congestion and system flexibility. Richard and Sonia also discuss how market design, grid investment and regulatory reform will be critical to supporting higher shares of renewable energy in power systems around the world.  Looking ahead, they examine the future role of solar and storage in the global energy system, the evolution of supply chains and recycling, and the increasing importance of distributed energy resources, from rooftop solar to household batteries.  Sonia Dunlop is CEO of the Global Solar Council, the world's solar PV and battery storage industry association, representing companies and national industry associations across every region and market segment. Prior to joining the Global Solar Council, she held roles at SolarPower Europe, Solar Energy UK and the RE-Source Platform, and spent five years with climate think tank E3G. Sonia also worked on the UK government's COP26 organising team and began her career working on renewable energy policy in the European Parliament. She currently serves in a number of leadership positions across the global renewables sector, including as Vice Chair of the Global Renewables Alliance and Vice President of REN21.  You will learn about:  * What's driving the recent slowdown in global solar deployment.   * How battery storage is helping solve grid integration challenges.   * Why flexibility markets and grid reform are becoming increasingly important.   * The growing role of distributed solar and consumer-led investment.

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 towards a competitive wholesale electricity market, and what the launch of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM) could mean for investors, developers and consumers.  Dan and Caroline discuss how spot markets can improve transparency, strengthen investment signals and accelerate private participation in the power sector. They also explore the challenges that remain, from market design and vesting contracts to transmission buildout, coal retirements and maintaining regulatory momentum throughout the reform process.  The discussion highlights how South Africa’s energy transition reflects many of the challenges seen globally, balancing market liberalisation, infrastructure investment and security of supply, while creating new opportunities for renewables, battery storage and innovative power procurement models.  You will learn: * Why SAWEM represents a major milestone in South Africa’s electricity market reform journey  * How spot markets support price discovery, competition and investor confidence  * The key design questions around vesting contracts and market liquidity  * Long-term power price drivers, including demand growth, coal retirements, gas and transmission expansion  * The opportunities for batteries, aggregators and private capital in South Africa’s evolving power market