Aurora Energy Research Podcast

This week, on Energy Unplugged, we have a special episode featuring Aurora experts in a discussion about what energy markets are hot in Europe right now and why.  Our Research Lead for European Power Markets Ryan Alexander is joined by Anuoluwa Omojola, Flexibility Lead and Rebecca McManus, Renewables Lead in the same team.  Main topics include: •The most exciting markets for renewables and battery investment in Europe  •The European Commission’s current power market reform  •European Commission’s accelerated permitting rules and which markets are most ahead of the game in implementing those •Which markets are most proactive in terms of encouraging co-location and why Support the show

In this episode we focus on the grid connections reform process and we welcome Julian Leslie, Head of Networks and Chief Engineer at National Grid ESO in a conversation with Emma Woodward, Project Leader at Aurora.  Julian has 30 years' experience in electricity system operation, planning and investment in various senior leadership roles. His current role is to prepare Great Britain’s electricity networks for Net Zero. Julian has a degree in Electrical Engineering, is a Chartered Electrical Engineer and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology. Main topics include: •The current grid connections process and the key steps developers have to follow  •The multiple connections reforms going on at the moment, their current status and relation with other existing reforms  •The key challenges in the reform process Support the show

In this Energy Unplugged episode, we discuss the upcoming priorities of the Swedish TSO (transmission system operator), such as the capacity market implementation and solving grid bottlenecks. We’re pleased to be joined by Lowina Lundström, Senior Vice President, Svenska Kraftnät, in a discussion with our Head of Nordics & Baltics, Alexander Esser. Lowina is also Chairman of the Board of Directors at eSett, a company providing balance settlement services to participants of electricity markets in Finland, Norway and Sweden. Prior to that, she had several roles at the Nordic utility Fortum, and at Ellevio, one of Sweden's largest energy companies. Main topics include: •The role of TSOs for the energy transition in Sweden •The needs and bottlenecks of the Swedish power system •Sweden’s future as an electricity exporter Support the show

This week on Energy Unplugged we welcome Dave Jones, Global Electricity Insights Lead at Ember in a conversation with our Managing Director for Central Europe, Hanns Koenig.  Ember is an independent energy think tank that uses data-driven insights to support the energy transition. Before joining Ember in 2020, Dave worked for 13 years at German utility E.ON as an electricity analyst and after that, in 2014, he joined the non-profit Sandbag, where he was working on phasing out coal in Europe. Main topics include:  •Driving the agenda for Europe’s coal exit and global trends in the coal phase out  •Campaigning for wind parks, grid expansion, efficiency vs. campaigning against coal  •Ember’s most recent European Electricity Review and its work on a global renewables goal Support the show

In this Energy Unplugged episode we focus on Japan’s energy markets. We’re delighted to be joined by Professor Llewelyn Hughes of the Australian National University (ANU) in a conversation with our Managing Director in APAC and California, Hugo Batten and our Head of New Markets in APAC, Rowan von Spreckelsen.  Llewelyn is a deep expert in Japan’s energy markets, being currently the Director of the Japan Institute at ANU. He’s had a long and distinguished academic career, spending time at MIT, Tokyo University, and Harvard, he has worked both in government (i.e. as an advisor to Ichirō Ozawa, Liberal Party of Japan) and the private sector (i.e Enron in Japan), as well as providing strategic and regulatory advice to energy companies operating in Japanese energy markets.  Main topics include: •The evolution of Japan’s power markets over the last 5 years  •The Japanese power market de-regulation and market shifts and the big domestic players’ response to these  •The challenges of decarbonisation of the power

This week on Energy Unplugged we welcome Sven Utermöhlen, Chief Executive Officer at RWE Offshore Wind, in a conversation with our Co-Head of Advisory for Central Europe, Casimir Lorenz.  RWE is a leading global player in renewables and number two worldwide in offshore wind. Sven joined RWE in 2022 and before he has held various senior executive roles in renewable energy for more than sixteen years, including at innogy SE, and E.ON, where he also led the company’s offshore wind division. He also previously served in management consultancy roles for the Boston Consulting Group. He studied at the Universities of Karlsruhe and Hamburg. Main topics include: •The outlook of the offshore wind supply chain in Europe  •The probably of reaching the ambitious offshore wind targets in Europe  •The aim of a good market design for renewables and offshore wind in particular  •The competition between different markets with regards to their attractiveness Support the show

This week we have a special episode on Energy Unplugged in which we discuss the Japanese power market with Aurora's leadership team in Tokyo. Our Managing Director in APAC and California, Hugo Batten is joined by Aurora’s Rowan von Spreckelsen – Head of New Markets, APAC; Hayato Ono – Head of Advisory, Japan; Alex Luta and Zelin Chen – Project Leaders, Japan and Sehun Nakama – Associate, Japan. This episode is being released just as we open our office in Tokyo and deliver our first research projects in Japan. Main topics include: • The current generation mix in Japan and expected changes over the next years • Key elements of the energy transition in Japan • The Japanese electricity market design • Insights from Aurora’s Japan power market modelling work Support the show

In this week’s podcast we welcome Jonathan Brearley, CEO of Ofgem, in conversation with Dan Monzani, our Managing Director for UK & Ireland. Over the next 12 years, the energy system is under pressure for transformation to reach the goal of Net Zero. This episode focuses on the necessity for change within the energy system in order to achieve these targets. Jonathan has wide-ranging energy sector experience, having led Electricity Market Reform as the Director for Energy Markets and Networks at DECC. Prior to this, he was Director of the Office of Climate Change, a cross-government strategy unit focussed on climate change and energy issues, where he led the development of the Climate Change Act. Earlier in his career, Jonathan was a senior adviser in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit. In 2020, Jonathan became Ofgem's Chief Executive Officer after two years in the role of Executive Director for Systems and Networks. Main topics include: *The current stability of the retail market in the run to Net Zero

In this episode, we discuss the energy transition as an investment climate for low-carbon infrastructure in Europe and the US. Our Research Director, Richard Howard is joined by Aurora experts: Ryan Alexander, Research Lead for European Power Markets and Julia Hoos, Head of USA East.  Main topics include: •The impact of the REPowerEU plan and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the US on the energy transition •The status of renewables deployment in Europe vs the US  •Green hydrogen as a direct replacement for natural gas Support the show

In this episode, we welcome Jack Curtis, Chief Commercial Officer at Neara, in a talk with our Managing Director in APAC and California, Hugo Batten, and our Head of Research in APAC, James Ha. Today’s discussion is focused on the challenges the power grid faces through the energy transition. Neara is a physics-enabled platform that builds 3D interactive models of networks and assets, providing the ability to run real-world scenarios, assess current and future risks, and prioritize maintenance and disaster response. In the past, Jack was also Head of APAC for First Solar, and before he was both an investment banker and a lawyer. Main topics include: •The development of renewables over the past 10 years in Australia •The government and the private sector’s roles in achieving the 1.5 degrees goal in Australia’s electricity system  •Neara’s platform, its fit with other models, and the challenges of the grid Support the show

In this episode we welcome Jan Pepper, CEO, Peninsula Clean Energy in a conversation with our Head of Advisory – US West, Felix Chow-Kambitsch and our Head of Research – US West, Kim Liu. The discussion focusses on clean energy in California, as the state transitions towards its commitment of 100% clean electricity by 2045.  Jan has been working on renewable energy in California for the last 30 years. She is now CEO of Peninsula Clean Energy, a Community Choice Aggregation agency for San Mateo County and the City of Los Banos. Under Jan’s leadership since its inception in 2016, Peninsula Clean Energy has been leading the industry with its unprecedented goal for a California load-serving entity to procure 100% renewable energy 24/7 by 2025. Main topics include: •The role of CCAs in the energy transition •PCE’s goal to deliver 24/7 renewable power by 2025 •Opportunities and challenges as California moves to 100% zero-carbon Support the show

This week we have a special episode on Energy Unplugged in which we welcome Daniel Breuer, Partner at Osborne Clarke in a conversation with our Co-Head of Advisory Central Europe, Thekla von Bülow. The episode is preparing for our Renewables Summit Berlin 2023 taking place tomorrow, Thursday 11th of May in Berlin, Germany.  The topic of the event is ‘Coordinating the German State and Market: Policies and Strategies to Reach 80% Renewables by 2030’ and Daniel is one of our speakers at the event. Daniel will be participating in one of the panel discussions entitled ‘Uncovering Optimal Pricing Mechanisms and Navigating Impacts of Regulatory Interventions on the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) Markets’.  Daniel heads Osborne Clarke Germany’s Energy & Utility practice. He advises clients on all energy and regulatory matters with a particular emphasis on renewable energy projects (from greenfield development to repowering), direct marketing and PPA structures (corporate, utility and financial), energy tradin

This week on Energy Unplugged, we discuss about the revolution in retail energy markets in the UK and internationally. We’re delighted to welcome Melissa Gander, Chief Operating Officer at Kaluza in a conversation with our Managing Director for UK & Ireland, Dan Monzani.  With an extensive career in energy, Melissa was a member of OVO Energy’s launch team in 2009 where she headed up their Customer Services and Operations, as well as their smart metering business. In 2019, Melissa became OVO Group Chief Operating Officer and joined Kaluza in 2021 as Chief Operating Officer helping to spearhead the company's international growth. Before joining OVO Energy, Melissa spent three years at Envoy Asset Management (part of Inexus Group). Melissa graduated in Economics from Sheffield University.  Melissa & Dan discuss: •OVO Energy and what drove the growth of the company in the first 5 to 10 years •Kaluza’s business model as a real-time SaaS platform accelerating the shift to a zero carbon world •Internation

In this episode we’re delighted to welcome Chris Hansen, State Senator for Colorado in a conversation with our Head of USA, Oliver Kerr. Chris entered politics in 2016, he had a long career in the energy sector, both in academia and industry, he’s an energy expert by training, with a master degree from MIT, and a PhD from Oxford University. Oliver and Chris discuss: * The energy transition in Colorado and the role government has to play * The role for markets in the energy transition * The progress of decarbonisation wider in the US Support the show

Join Hugo Batten, Managing Director in Australia at Aurora, in an exciting episode of the podcast dedicated to the Australian Energy Market. With special guests Skipp Williamson, Managing Director at Partners in Performance, and Brian Innes, Global Technical Director specializing in energy transformation practice, this episode delves into the challenges and opportunities for large energy users in Australia to decarbonize their electricity supply. Skipp Williamson, named by the Australian Financial Review as the 2019 most influential consultant, shares her insights on how she sees decarbonization as an opportunity rather than a challenge for large energy users, which derives significant cost reduction and increased productivity. The discussion also touches upon the importance of hybrid solutions and supply chain optimizations for big industrial users in the global market, including South Africa and Europe. The episode also explores the complex coal closure process in Australia over the last decade and the ro

In this episode, we are delighted to welcome Jeanne Soh - Head of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Structured Finance Department Asia Pacific, SMBC, Jason Humphreys - Partner Singapore, Allen Overy and Rowan von Spreckelsen - Principal at Research Analytics, Aurora in a discussion with our Managing Director for Australia Hugo Batten on some of the major challenges and opportunities in Asia Pacific Region for energy project finance. This episode is the third in a series on global project finance, organised in partnership with SMBC Group.  With a number of 4 episodes covering Europe, Australia, Asia and the US, this series is hosted by Aurora, with guests from SMBC Group, various law firms and Aurora. The APAC region has varying levels of development when it comes to financing alternative energy solutions, with different markets exhibiting different levels of activity in energy and project finance based on technologies and geographies. Taiwan has shown increased interest in offshore wind, and its regulatory

In this episode, we’re delighted to welcome Julian Nebreda, CEO & President of Fluence, in a conversation with our Head of USA, Oliver Kerr and our Head of Advisory, US West, Felix Chow-Kambitsch.  Julian leads the Fluence team and its efforts to accelerate energy storage adoption globally. Prior to joining Fluence, he had a distinguished career at the AES Corporation serving as President of the South America Strategic Business Unit and other multiple positions. Julian has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry as well as a remarkable expertise as a Fluence board member since September 2021. Main topics include: •The outlook for battery storage globally going forward  •The evolution of battery business model and to what extent business ownership models need to change  •The impact of the Inflation Reduction Act  •How easy it is to scale battery optimisation in-house Support the show

This week on Energy Unplugged, we are delighted to welcome Daisuke Tsujimoto, co-founder of Renova Inc – a Japanese renewable and storage developer. Joined by our Managing Director of APAC & California, Hugo Batten, and Rowan von Spreckelsen, our Head of New Markets in APAC, this discussion focuses on the trajectory and strategy of Renova, the evolution of Japan’s power markets, and the politics and policies of energy security in Japan. Main topics include: •Market reforms in Japan including switching from Feed-in-Tariffs to Feed-in-Premiums and introduction of 20 yr capacity market •The future of Japan’s nuclear fleet •Network access reform and the challenge of connecting renewables and batteries in parts of Japan •Future demand for hydrogen and ammonia in Japan Support the show

In this episode we’re delighted to welcome Simon-Erik Ollus, EVP, Generation and Member of the Executive Management at Fortum in a conversation with our Nordics & Baltics Lead, Alexander Esser.  Simon-Erik has been with Fortum since 2009 and held various roles in strategy and market intelligence and has been a member of the division’s management team since 2013. He has been appointed Executive Vice President of Fortum’s Generation division and member of Fortum’s Executive Management in March 2021. The Generation division is responsible for Fortum’s Nordic power generation in nuclear, hydro, and wind power plants. Simon-Erik and Alexander discuss: •Fortum’s new strategy after exiting Russia and Uniper •What’s missing in recent reform proposals for electricity market design •The role of nuclear in the Nordics Support the show

In this episode, we are delighted to welcome Kate Tuohy, Director, Energy at MUFG in a conversation with our Co-Head of Advisory in Central Europe, Thekla von Bülow.  Kate has over 12 years’ project finance experience focusing on structuring and arranging project financing, financial advisory and restructuring across the infrastructure, power and renewables sectors. Kate joined MUFG in September 2019 from ESB, Ireland’s state electricity utility where she had responsibly for structuring debt and equity funding solutions for new generation projects (thermal, renewable and flexible generation) within ESB’s portfolio.  Main topics include: •The renewables landscape in Europe, US & China •The offshore wind and differences in various European markets •The hydrogen investment space  If you want to hear more from other global energy leaders, join the Aurora Spring Forum 2023 taking place on 29 March in Oxford, UK. The Forum offers a full day of intellectual engagement and thought-provoking analysis, with the