The Energy Gang

Electricity grids rely on transformers. Shortages are slowing down the transition to clean energy.Transformers are such commonplace pieces of local infrastructure that most people barely notice them. In America, they include those dustbin-shaped objects on poles for power lines, and in the UK they are those rectangular boxes on the pavement. But transformers have a critical function in making the electricity grid work, and they also play a vital role in the energy transition, too. If you want to add new generation to the grid, or increase local power supplies so people can charge their EVs, very often you are going to need transformers. And right now, getting hold of them is not easy.So why are these crucial pieces of kit in short supply? And how can we get more of them?To discuss this critical question, host Ed Crooks is joined by his Wood Mackenzie colleague Xizhou Zhou, Head of Power and Renewables. Xizhou has a whole lot of data on the scale of the problem, including how long you have to wait to get hold