Can Data Centres Earn Their Power? EP.299

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 simply building more infrastructure - but finding new ways to use the grid more efficiently and connect large loads faster.  Drawing on her work at the centre of recent market reforms in Texas, Arushi argues that flexibility, not just new transmission and generation, will be essential to unlocking the next phase of AI-led growth. The conversation examines how large electricity users could become active participants in the power system, helping to relieve constraints, improve reliability, and accelerate access to power.  From regulatory innovation and grid planning to distributed energy resources and flexible computing, Oliver and Arushi discuss how power markets may need to evolve as electricity demand rises to levels not seen in decades.    You will learn about:  * Why AI is transforming the way power systems think about large-load interconnection.  * How flexible demand could help unlock grid capacity and accelerate access to power.  * Why Texas is emerging as a testing ground for new approaches to grid flexibility.  * How batteries, distributed energy resources, and workload shifting could reshape power system planning.  * What utilities, policymakers, and large customers need to do to support the next phase of electricity demand growth.

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.