Power Plays

Charlotte Kirk and Lucy Shaw
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Join us - Dr Charlotte Kirk and Lucy Shaw - as we dive into the tech, finance and politics powering the energy transition each week. We'll unpack what happened, why it matters, and what you need to know. With deep industry insights and unique insider knowledge, we'll keep you up to date with all the Power Plays.

  1. 14 July

    From heatwaves to hidden capacity: How extreme heat Is reshaping the electricity grid

    Recorded 12th July. This week we explore how extreme heat is reshaping electricity systems around the world, and why one of the biggest opportunities is improving how we use the infrastructure we already have. We begin by examining the record-breaking heatwaves across Europe, where soaring temperatures have contributed to thousands of excess deaths while exposing how electricity grids, homes and energy markets were designed for a cooler climate. We discuss Why cooling demand is becoming just as important as winter heating, How heat affects both electricity demand and electricity generation, Why technologies such as heat pumps, demand response and dynamic grid management will become increasingly important.We then turn to the United States, where PJM recorded all-time peak electricity demand during an East Coast heatwave. Despite having substantial backup generation, batteries and demand response capacity available, fragmented market rules and regulatory frameworks limited how effectively these resources could be used. We explore the forecasting errors, emergency reliability orders and operational challenges that forced grid operators to keep thermal power plants online and curtail large electricity users. The conversation also examines the hidden environmental and public health consequences of relying on diesel backup generators during grid emergencies, and why better coordination of distributed energy resources could provide cleaner, lower-cost alternatives. Finally, we look at two companies tackling one of the electricity sector's biggest challenges: unlocking more capacity from the grid we already have. GridSolver (WattCarbon & Resilience Energy) has launched an open-source platform that maps more than 66,000 US neighbourhoods to identify where batteries, flexible demand, EV charging and rooftop solar would provide the greatest value to the electricity grid.GridCARE, a Stanford spinout backed by a $64 million Series A, uses AI-powered digital models to identify hidden capacity across existing transmission and distribution networks, enabling faster grid connections without waiting years for new infrastructure.In this episode Extreme heat and electricity systems: Europe's record-breaking heatwaves and excess mortalityWhy cooling demand is becoming a major challenge for electricity gridsHow heat affects transmission lines, power plants and system reliabilityWhy heat pumps can reduce both emissions and electricity costsDemand response and flexible electricity consumption during extreme weatherThe US grid under stress: PJM's record electricity demand during the East Coast heatwaveEmergency reliability orders and backup generationWhy forecasting errors created operational challengesThe regulatory barriers preventing greater use of flexible resourcesThe environmental and health impacts of diesel backup generatorsGetting more from the existing grid: How GridSolver identifies where distributed energy resources create the greatest valueWhy different neighbourhoods require different flexibility solutionsHow GridCARE uses AI to uncover unused grid capacityWhy utilities are increasingly focused on improving grid utilisation before building new infrastructureHow better coordination of existing assets could reduce electricity costs and accelerate new grid connections

    From heatwaves to hidden capacity: How extreme heat Is reshaping the electricity grid

  2. 3 July

    Can AI heat your home instead of overloading the grid?

    Recorded 30 June – We explore how engineering, software and market design are reshaping AI infrastructure and electricity systems. Charlotte examines three stories linked by a common theme: making existing infrastructure dramatically more productive. From NVIDIA's warm-water cooling technology and AI-powered water heaters to the largest virtual power plant ever assembled, we explore how AI is driving innovation far beyond the chip itself. Lucy then discusses a major US Supreme Court ruling that could increase political influence over the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), what that means for electricity markets, and why a new Columbia University report challenges the popular narrative that data centres are driving electricity price increases. 1. NVIDIA redesigns AI cooling with 45°C warm-water liquid cooling NVIDIA's next-generation Rubin AI platform is designed to operate using 45°C direct liquid cooling.Instead of cooling entire data halls with chilled air, warm water removes heat directly from chips, greatly reducing refrigeration energy and water consumption.AI competitiveness may increasingly depend not only on tokens per megawatt, but also on tokens per litre of water and per square metre of data centre space.2. What if AI GPU's ran inside your water heater? Startup WATTER has partnered with AI company Subconscious to embed GPUs inside domestic hot water systems.Instead of treating heat as waste, every AI inference simultaneously produces hot water.Combining GPUs, liquid cooling, heat exchangers and thermal storage could create a new model of distributed AI infrastructure, much like the evolution of distributed electricity systems.3. Sunrun, Tesla and Renew Home launch the largest US virtual power plant A 16.8 GW virtual power plant combines 7.8 GW of residential battery capacity, 9 GW of flexible demand, up to 9 million homes and more than 12 million connected devices.Rather than serving only utilities, the platform is designed to support AI data centres and hyperscalers, demonstrating how software can transform millions of distributed assets into critical electricity infrastructure.4. Is politics beginning to reshape US electricity markets? A recent US Supreme Court decision could make independent regulators more susceptible to presidential influence. We discuss: why independent regulation matters for competitive electricity marketshistorical examples of governments influencing market designhow political priorities could increasingly shape electricity regulationwhy investor confidence depends on stable, independent institutions5. What is really driving electricity prices? A new report from Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy concludes that data centres are not the primary driver of recent electricity price increases. Instead, rising costs largely reflect: ageing transmission and distribution infrastructurewildfire and storm resilience investmentsequipment cost inflationhigher natural gas pricesbroader structural issues within electricity markets6. Markets versus public ownership Drawing on recent visits to Kenya and South Africa, Lucy reflects on how electricity markets are evolving internationally, including: electricity market liberalisation across Africaprivate investment versus state ownershipwheeling arrangements and direct power saleswhat the UK's political debate could mean for future electricity market design.

    Can AI heat your home instead of overloading the grid?

  3. 22 June

    Will Burnham be good for UK energy policy? And how a US rule change could unlock distributed energy

    Recorded 21st June. Lucy joins from a sweltering London, while Charlotte records from Lake Tahoe after racing the Broken Arrow Skyrace with The North Face team. We cover three stories spanning UK energy politics, FERC 2222, and rare-earth supply chains: Andy Burnham, Labour and the Future of UK Energy PolicyLucy looks at Andy Burnham’s election to Parliament in Makerfield and what it could mean for the future direction of Labour’s energy and infrastructure agenda. The discussion covers: why Burnham’s victory is being viewed as more than a routine by-electionwhat a more devolved approach to energy policy could meanthe debate around public ownership, public control and essential infrastructurewhether nationalisation would reduce energy bills, or whether market design is the bigger issuehow locational pricing and planning reform could affect where clean energy gets builtthe trade-off between local decision-making and a national energy strategywhy affordability may become more politically important than net-zero targetsFERC 2222, Data Centres and Virtual Power PlantsCharlotte turns to the US, where FERC has ordered six major grid operators to explain whether data-centre interconnection costs are being shifted onto existing electricity customers. The discussion covers: how FERC Order 2222 opened wholesale electricity markets to aggregated DERs, including batteries, EVs, rooftop solar and flexible loadswhy the debate has intensified as hyperscale AI campuses seek hundreds of megawatts to gigawatts of new power demandwhy capacity is becoming one of the most valuable resources in the electricity systemhow 10,000 residential batteries can form a virtual power plant, while 100,000 batteries could provide roughly 1–1.5 GW of dispatchable capacityhow VPPs can unlock value from existing infrastructure rather than waiting years for new transmission and substationswhy capacity payments, demand response and ancillary services are creating new revenue streams for distributed assetshow community batteries and resilience hubs could provide backup power during outages while supporting grid reliabilityPhoenix Tailings and Rare-Earth Supply ChainsCharlotte discusses Phoenix Tailings, the US rare-earth processing company that secured $500 million of financing from the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital. The discussion covers: how rare-earth magnets underpin EVs, wind turbines, robotics, defence systems, data centres and industrial automationwhy China’s dominance of refining and magnet production has become a strategic concernthe difference between mining rare earths and processing them into usable oxides, metals and magnetshow Phoenix Tailings uses mine tailings, industrial waste streams and secondary feedstockswhy rare-earth separation is one of the most technically challenging parts of the supply chainhow advanced separation chemistry and electrochemical processing could reduce waste, emissions and reagent usethe key scale-up challenges around yield, recovery, reliability, offtake and commercial executionAcross the episode, the common theme is infrastructure: who pays for it, who controls it, and how governments, markets and technology shape the systems needed for the energy transition.

    Will Burnham be good for UK energy policy? And how a US rule change could unlock distributed energy

  4. 18 June

    Part 2: Should the state intervene more in energy?

    Recorded 14th June - Part 2: This episode was so packed that we’re releasing it in two parts, so we don’t have to cut any of the good bits. Here in Part 2, Lucy picks up the theme of state intervention in energy markets - looking at where governments are trying to shape, correct or accelerate the energy transition. First up: the European Union’s plans to expand carbon pricing for extra-EU aviation. The discussion covers: why most international aviation emissions are currently excluded from EU carbon pricingthe history of the EU ETS, “stop the clock”, and the role of CORSIAhow the EU is using both carbon pricing and RefuelEU Aviation to push airlines towards lower-carbon fuelswhy sustainable aviation fuel still faces major cost, scale and feedstock constraintsthe difference between bio-based SAF and e-SAFhow aviation policy compares with maritime decarbonisation, the IMO and emerging global carbon pricing for shippingLucy then turns to South Africa, where Eskom is launching Eskom Green and beginning to convert some of its coal-heavy sites towards renewables. We discuss: why coal still dominates South Africa’s power systemhow Eskom’s role is changing as the market liberaliseswhy private sector renewables, rooftop solar and behind-the-meter power have grown in response to blackouts and high energy costswhat it means for a state-owned utility to lead renewables deployment while the market is opening upFinally, Lucy looks at the UK’s latest grid connection reforms, after the National Energy System Operator approved 713 generation projects representing around 37 GW of capacity. The conversation explores: why grid connections have become one of the biggest bottlenecks in the UK power systemhow Clean Power 2030 is reshaping national planningwhy connecting more generation is only one side of the challengethe need to electrify heat, transport and demand alongside new supplyhow grid-enhancing technologies, dynamic line ratings, advanced conductors, topology optimisation, VPPs, distributed batteries, smart thermostats, EVs, heat pumps, microgrids and behind-the-meter assets can help get more out of the grid we already haveAcross all of these stories, the common theme is how governments and markets interact: when to intervene, when to let price signals work, and how to design energy systems that can scale clean power without making energy more expensive or less reliable.

    Part 2: Should the state intervene more in energy?

  5. 18 June

    Part 1: The Supply Chains Behind Nuclear Growth - From Critical Minerals Recovery to Uranium Enrichment, plus Energy Storage updates

    Recorded 14th June: Charlotte and Lucy are both in the US this week - Charlotte in San Francisco and Lucy in Boston. This episode was so packed that we’re releasing it in two parts, so we don’t have to cut any of the good bits. Here in Part 1, Charlotte dives into the nuclear supply chain - not just reactors, but the materials, processing and fuel infrastructure needed to make nuclear power possible. First up: DISA Technologies, the Wyoming-based mineral processing and uranium remediation company that raised a $33 million round led by Galvanize Climate Solutions, with participation from BHP Ventures. DISA is scaling its High Pressure Slurry Ablation technology, which uses particle-to-particle collisions to liberate valuable minerals from ore, tailings and legacy mine waste. We discuss: why comminution is one of the biggest energy loads in mininghow better mineral liberation can improve recovery rateswhy uranium remediation could become a critical part of rebuilding domestic nuclear fuel supply chainsCharlotte then turns to Urenco, one of the world’s largest uranium enrichment companies, which announced a $1.5 billion expansion of its facility in New Mexico. The conversation explains: the uranium fuel cyclewhy enrichment is such a strategic choke pointthe difference between LEU and HALEUwhy fuel availability matters just as much as reactor deployment in any future nuclear buildoutFinally for Part 1, we move from nuclear fuels to grid storage, covering recent momentum in sodium-ion and second-life batteries, including: ESS Tech’s partnership with Alsym EnergyCATL’s 60 GWh sodium-ion agreement with HyperStrongGM’s partnership with Peak Energy for stationary storageMoment Energy’s $40 million Series B to repurpose EV batteries for grid applicationsAcross all of these stories, the common theme is that the energy transition is increasingly about supply chains, processing capacity, infrastructure bottlenecks and the industrial systems needed to scale.ed to scale the energy transition.

    Part 1: The Supply Chains Behind Nuclear Growth - From Critical Minerals Recovery to Uranium Enrichment, plus Energy Storage updates

  6. 10 June

    Nyobolt's ultra-fast charging batteries, Antora's giant thermal battery, and Trump's attempted coal revival

    Recorded 7th June. In this episode, we catch up after Charlotte’s set the record for the Fastest Known Time running the Camino de Santiago, and Lucy being elected as a local councillor. We then dive into four major energy stories spanning cutting-edge battery technologies, industrial decarbonisation, coal policy, and mine safety. Nyobolt's $60M Series C: The Future of Ultra-Fast Charging Nyobolt has become the latest UK battery unicorn after raising a $60 million Series C round. Charlotte explores why the company is taking a different approach from most battery developers by prioritising charging speed and power delivery rather than simply increasing energy density. Why conventional lithium-ion batteries struggle with ultra-fast chargingHow niobium-based anode materials allow lithium ions to move more rapidly through the batteryThe trade-off between energy density and power densityWhy fast charging matters more for robots, mining equipment, defence systems, and industrial automation than passenger EVsHow higher utilisation can create significant economic value for robotic and autonomous systemsThe growing opportunity for high-power batteries in AI infrastructure and data centresAntora Energy's 5 GWh Thermal Battery Project Antora Energy has deployed one of the world's largest energy storage projects, using renewable electricity to provide industrial heat rather than electricity. Charlotte discusses why industrial heat represents one of the biggest decarbonisation challenges globally and how thermal batteries could help solve it. How Antora stores electricity as heat in solid carbon blocks at temperatures above 2,000°CWhy industrial facilities need heat rather than electronsHow thermal storage enables renewable energy to provide reliable 24/7 industrial steam and process heatThe role of thermal batteries in sectors including steel, cement, chemicals, food processing, and pulp and paperHow Antora's radiative heat transfer system differs from conventional thermal storage technologiesThe potential future use of thermophotovoltaics to convert stored heat back into electricityWhy ethanol production is proving to be an attractive first commercial marketTrump's $700 Million Coal Push The Trump administration has announced a new package of support for the US coal industry. Lucy examines the rationale behind the policy, the economics of coal in modern electricity markets, and whether coal still has a role to play in supporting grid reliability. New funding for coal plant upgrades, export infrastructure, and proposed new coal plantsThe difference between coal as a reliability resource and coal as baseload generationWhether preserving existing coal plants makes economic senseHow coal compares with renewables, batteries, gas, and other firm power resourcesWhether AI-driven electricity demand changes the case for coal, as data-centre developers favour nuclear, geothermal, renewables, and storage over new coal generationChina's Deadliest Coal Mine Accident Since 2009 We conclude with a discussion of a tragic coal mine accident in China that claimed 82 lives and what it reveals about the broader costs of fossil-fuel dependence. The human cost of coal mining and industrial accidentsHow safety regulations affect the economics of coal productionWhether major incidents accelerate transitions away from coalThe balance between energy security, affordability, and worker safety

    Nyobolt's ultra-fast charging batteries, Antora's giant thermal battery, and Trump's attempted coal revival

  7. 14 May

    Trump's trip to China on rare earths, electricity market reforms in the US, and the evolving Chinese EV market

    This week on Power Plays (recorded May 13th, 2026), we are joined by a guest co-host, Henry Sanderson, while Charlotte completes an epic run in Spain. Henry is the author of Volt Rush, former journalist at Bloomberg and the Financial Times, and fellow at RUSI and Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. This week we cover: Trump's trip to China - why is he going, what will he ask for in the negotiation to secure rare earth supply chains, and will this lead to more investment in the US cleantech sector?The PJM's electricity market reform proposals - why there are calls for reform to capacity markets, what those reforms could look like, and will they will improve reliability?The Beijing Auto Show and evolving EV trends - the move towards luxury EVs and battery swapping for heavy-duty vehicles like trucksStruggling European battery manufacturers - Morrow's bankruptcy, why Europe's manufacturing has lagged China'sPower price moves - how lower power prices drive EVs, changes in China's market connectivity and design

    Trump's trip to China on rare earths, electricity market reforms in the US, and the evolving Chinese EV market

  8. 3 May

    The Renewable Grid (DERs, VPPs, and the Grid Edge), plus the UK’s Cost Reduction Policies

    Recorded 2nd May 2026: This week we explore the forces reshaping distribution level power systems, the UK's new energy policy announcements, and the progress of fossil fuel phase-out after a historic conference in Colombia. Part One: DERs, VPPs, and the Grid Edge Stories from Octopus Energy, Uplight, Lunar Energy, & Span all point to the grid becoming more distributed, more intelligent, and more participatory. DERs - including home batteries, EV charging, & flexible demand - are increasingly being treated as real capacity resources rather than emergency backup systems. VPPs can now meet peak demand at significantly lower cost than conventional generation, using assets that already exist in homes & businesses. As electricity demand rises & interconnection timelines stretch, the fastest new capacity may come from distributed infrastructure not large centralized plants. Charlotte highlights: Octopus Energy & Uplight - to expand VPP capabilities in the US, focused on aggregating household devices into coordinated grid resourcesOctopus & Lunar Energy - to deliver integrated home energy systems combining batteries, energy management software, & retail electricity supplyOctopus's residential battery deployment focused on mainstream adoption. Systems are designed to participate in demand response, energy arbitrage, & VPP programs, as household energy devices can function as infrastructure assets.Span announced plans to deploy GPUs at the grid edge, embedding compute directly into electrical infrastructurePart Two: UK Energy Policy and Breaking the link between gas and electricity prices The UK government announced a slate of policy proposals to reduce the cost of energy and accelerate decarbonisation. The flagship policy was offering voluntary wholesale contracts to legacy renewable generators to stabilise electricity prices and reduce exposure to gas-driven volatility. The proposal reflects a broader recognition that electricity markets remain heavily exposed to short-term price fluctuations & that long-term contracts can play a stabilising role for both producers & consumers. Lucy also covers: Market reforms, including wholesale prices and locational pricingExpanding energy development on publicly owned land to build 10GW of new supplyThe launch of a plug-in solar pilot program,Reforms to make on-street EV charging easier to deployPart Three: Fossil Fuel Phase-out - the dream in Colombia and the reality on the ground The first ever Fossil Fuel Phase-out conference was held in Santa Marta, Colombia, this past week. Participants were optimistic about the outcome, agreeing to develop roadmaps in advance of the summit next year. But the world's biggest fossil fuel producers and consumers weren't there - China, the US, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia - so can we expect any change? Meanwhile: UAE left OPEC, signalling they want to increase oil productionChevron and ExxonMobil are resisting Trump's calls to increase oil production, signalling they want to keep prices higher for longer or are worried about a glut of supply comingIndia is experiencing higher than ever electricity demand in a deadly heatwave, increasing coal consumption after a 2025 decline.

    The Renewable Grid (DERs, VPPs, and the Grid Edge), plus the UK’s Cost Reduction Policies
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About

Join us - Dr Charlotte Kirk and Lucy Shaw - as we dive into the tech, finance and politics powering the energy transition each week. We'll unpack what happened, why it matters, and what you need to know. With deep industry insights and unique insider knowledge, we'll keep you up to date with all the Power Plays.

Information

  • Creator
    Charlotte Kirk and Lucy Shaw
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Charlotte Kirk and Lucy Shaw
  • Show Website
    Power Plays

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