Can the Grid Keep Up with AI? EP. 298

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 phase. Wind and solar have grown faster than demand and transmission infrastructure, driving curtailment, price volatility, and tougher project economics. Yet long-term demand growth is expected to trigger a substantial new investment cycle.  Rodrigo and Carla discuss how Brazil can move from today’s oversupplied market to the next wave of energy investment, including how lenders are adapting to curtailment, revenue uncertainty, and more sophisticated financing structures.  The discussion also covers grid expansion, storage, and flexibility, with Carla explaining how BNDES is approaching batteries, smart grids, sustainable fuels, low-carbon hydrogen, and why regulation will be key to Brazil’s next phase of growth.  You will learn about:  * Why Brazil’s renewable energy success has led to new challenges around curtailment and price volatility.  * How project finance structures are evolving to address changing market risks.  * What role BNDES is playing in supporting Brazil’s next wave of clean energy investment.  * Why are batteries and other flexibility technologies becoming increasingly important to the power system.  * How Brazil can prepare for a new investment cycle as electricity demand begins to absorb today’s surplus capacity.

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.

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.