Plugged In: the energy news podcast

Montel News
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Business News
  • Updated weekly

Coming from the heart of the Montel newsroom, Editor-in-Chief, Snjolfur Richard Sverrisson and his team of journalists explore the news headlines in the energy sector, bringing you in depth analysis of the industry’s leading stories each week.   Richard speaks to experts, analysts, regulators, and senior business leaders to the examine not just the what, but the why behind the decisions directing the markets and shaping the global transition to a green economy.   New episodes are available every Thursday.

  1. 2 days ago

    Global trade risks threaten energy security

    Send us your thoughts! The rules that have underpinned global shipping and energy trade for decades are coming under increasing strain. From the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea to the Baltic and the Arctic, geopolitical tensions are raising risks for shipping, supply chains and energy markets. Recorded in Svalbard, this episode looks at what a more fragmented and dangerous maritime landscape means for global energy security. The discussion explores how the Iran war has changed LNG trade, why Asian buyers are rethinking their reliance on Middle Eastern supplies, and whether the world is shifting from “just-in-time” to “just-in-case” energy supply chains. The conversation also turns to Europe, where low gas storage levels, growing reliance on US LNG and uncertainty over Russian and Qatari supplies are creating fresh concerns for the winter and next year.  Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson – Editor-in-Chief, Montel News Guests: Saul Kavonic – Head of Energy Research, MST Marquee Henning Gloystein – Managing Director, Energy & Resources, Eurasia Group Editor: Alexandra Carlon Producer: Alexandra Carlon #EnergySecurity #LNG #GasMarkets #Shipping #StraitOfHormuz #EuropeanGas #EnergyMarkets #Geopolitics #Arctic #Svalbard

    Global trade risks threaten energy security

  2. 10 Sept

    Europe braces for winter gas crunch

    Send us your thoughts! Europe is heading into winter with gas storage well below comfortable levels, LNG supplies under pressure and the Strait of Hormuz crisis adding further uncertainty to an already tight market. Could a cold winter push European gas prices to EUR 150/MWh? And with Europe increasingly competing for LNG on the global market, how exposed is the continent to another energy price shock? This week, we discuss Europe's gas balance, the race for LNG, the impact of continued disruption in the Middle East and what needs to happen to prevent another painful winter for consumers and industry. Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson – Editor-in-Chief, Montel News Guests: Laurence Walker – Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Montel News Tony Jordan – Founder, Energy Price Intelligence Yuriy Onyshki – Senior Gas Analyst, LSEG Trevor Sikorski – Head of Natural Gas and Emissions, Energy Aspects Editor & Producer:  Alexandra Carlon #EuropeanGas #LNG #GasStorage #EnergyMarkets #GasPrices #StraitOfHormuz #EnergyCrisis #EnergySecurity

    Europe braces for winter gas crunch

  3. 3 Sept

    Summer price volatility: Batteries take the spoils?

    Send us your thoughts! Batteries are emerging as one of the big winners from Europe’s increasingly volatile power markets. In this episode, we look at how huge amounts of solar generation are driving down midday power prices before sharp evening peaks create opportunities for battery storage. The discussion explores who profits from these price swings, whether batteries could begin to displace gas-fired generation, the shift towards larger and longer-duration storage, and whether a rapidly expanding battery fleet could eventually flatten the very volatility it profits from. We also look ahead to what Europe’s battery boom could mean for power prices, grid investment and the shape of the energy system by 2030. Host:  Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson – Editor-in-Chief, Montel News Guests: Julia Demirdag – Germany Correspondent, Montel News Fintan Devenney – Market Expert, Montel Beatrice Petrovich – Senior Energy Analyst, Europe, Ember Erik Strømsø – CEO, BW ESS Editor: Alexandra Carlon Producer: Alexandra Carlon #BatteryStorage #BESS #EnergyStorage #PowerMarkets #EnergyMarkets #SolarPower #RenewableEnergy #Gas #EnergyTransition #Europe

    Summer price volatility: Batteries take the spoils?

  4. 27 Aug

    Hormuz crisis: Outlook remains highly uncertain

    Send us your thoughts! The Strait of Hormuz crisis has reshaped the outlook for global energy markets, with uncertainty over LNG flows, European gas storage and geopolitical risk hanging over the months ahead. In this episode, we look at how the conflict has affected oil and gas markets, whether disruption through Hormuz has become a lasting feature of global energy trade, and why Europe could face a tight autumn and winter; particularly on price, even if outright gas shortages remained unlikely. The discussion also covers low European storage levels, the role of weather, market reactions to Donald Trump’s interventions, and the wider geopolitical and energy risks facing Europe into 2027. Host:  Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson – Editor-in-Chief, Montel News Guests: Elise Wu - LNG Correspondent, Montel News Amund Vik - Senior Advisor, Eurasia Group Bjarne Schieldrop - Chief Analyst, Commodities, SEB Tobias Federico - Chief Analyst, Montel Editor: Alexandra Carlon Producer: Alexandra Carlon #StraitOfHormuz #EnergyMarkets #EuropeanGas #GasPrices #LNG #EnergyCrisis #EnergySecurity #OilMarkets #Geopolitics #EuropeanEnergy #GasStorage #WinterOutlook #Iran #EnergyTransition

    Hormuz crisis: Outlook remains highly uncertain

  5. 20 Aug

    Norway faces a dry, expensive winter

    Send us your thoughts! Reservoir levels in southern Norway are at their lowest for 30 years raising concerns about power prices in the months ahead and the Nordic region’s ability to balance domestic needs with exports to neighbouring markets. In this episode of Plugged In, we examine the state of Nordic hydropower, the outlook for reservoir refilling and what current weather patterns could mean for power markets in the months ahead. The discussion explores the role of interconnectors, changing power flows between countries and how weather uncertainty continues to shape market expectations. Looking beyond this winter, our guests also consider how the Nordic power system may evolve over the next five to ten years as demand rises, generation changes and the energy transition gathers pace. Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson – Editor-in-Chief, Montel News Guests: Gert Ove Mollestad – Norway Editor, Montel News Gro Klæboe – Product Manager, Mid- and Long-term Modelling, Volue Data & Forecasts Silje Eriksen Holmen – Head of Fundamentals and Hydrology, Volt Power Sigbjørn Seland – Chief Analyst, StormGeo Editor: Alexandra Carlon Producer: Alexandra Carlon #Nordics #PowerMarkets #Hydropower #EnergyTransition #ElectricityMarkets #Reservoirs #NordicPower #EnergySecurity #Montel #PluggedInPodcast

    Norway faces a dry, expensive winter

  6. 13 Aug

    Europe feels the heat: Extreme weather becomes the norm

    Send us your thoughts! Extreme heat and drought are putting Europe’s power system under pressure on close to an annual basis.  Low river levels and high water temperatures are constraining nuclear and hydropower generation, just as demand for cooling rises. Meanwhile, solar has emerged as a bright spot — providing a quarter of the EU’s power mix in June and helping meet increased daytime demand. In this episode of Plugged In, we look at how extreme weather is reshaping Europe’s power markets, why countries overly reliant on one generation source may be particularly vulnerable, and what growing price volatility tells us about the need for storage and flexibility. We also ask whether Europe is prepared for a future in which today’s extreme summers become increasingly commonplace; and what needs to happen now to make the power system more resilient. #Energy #PowerMarkets #ClimateChange #ExtremeWeather #EnergyTransition #Renewables #SolarPower #NuclearEnergy #EnergySecurity #Europe #Drought #PowerSystems #PluggedInPodcast  Host: Richard Sverrisson – Editor-in-Chief, Montel News Guests: Maja Žuvela -  SEE Correspondent, Montel News Dr Chris Rosslowe -  Senior Energy Analyst, Europe, EMBER  Professor Mark Maslin - British climate scientist and Professor of Earth System Science, UCL  Chiara Cagnazzo - Principal Scientific Officer at Copernicus Climate Change Service  Editor: Alexandra Carlon Producer: Alexandra Carlon

    Europe feels the heat: Extreme weather becomes the norm

  7. 6 Aug

    Europe’s energy transition: Full speed ahead?

    Send us your thoughts! After a summer spent exploring the technologies, markets and policies shaping Europe's energy transition, the final episode of the Plugged In Summer Series asks one key final question: is the green shift slowing down, or speeding up? Richard is joined by two expert academics. David Reiner of the University of Cambridge and  Michael Grubb of University College London to explore what's next for the energy transition. Together, they assess how geopolitical instability, rising electricity demand and shifting global dynamics are reshaping the path ahead—from energy security and electrification to market reform, investment, China's growing influence and the future of clean energy policy.  The conversation concludes by returning to the central question that has run throughout the series: is the energy transition accelerating, stalling, or taking a different path? Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief, Montel News Guests: Dr David Reiner, Professor of Technology Policy, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge Professor Michael Grubb, Professor of Energy and Climate Change, University College London Producer: Alexandra Carlon Editor: Alexandra Carlon #EnergyTransition #NetZero #EnergySecurity #ClimatePolicy #Electrification #CleanEnergy #ElectricityMarkets #Geopolitics #Decarbonisation #EnergyMarkets #MontelNews #PluggedInPodcast

    Europe’s energy transition: Full speed ahead?

  8. 30 Jul

    Keeping pace with power hungry data centres

    Send us your thoughts! Artificial intelligence is transforming the global economy at extraordinary speed, but it's also creating one of the biggest new sources of electricity demand Europe has faced in decades. As hyperscale data centres continue to expand, are Europe's power systems, grids and energy markets ready to keep pace? In this episode of the Plugged In Summer Series, we explore what the AI boom means for the energy transition. The discussion centres around power supply and how grid constraints could shape investment, to the role of flexibility, policy and smarter energy management. We chat about the challenges and opportunities facing Europe's electricity system in the wake of such a growing industry.  Featuring insights from experts in technology policy, data centre strategy and the power sector, this episode asks whether AI's growing appetite for energy can be aligned with Europe's ambitions for a secure, affordable and low-carbon future—and what needs to happen next. Host: Snjólfur Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief, Montel News Guests: Katie Berriman Davies, Head of Energy, TechUK Liam Newcombe, SVP Product, Energy Strategy & Innovation, GreenScale Steve Smith, Group Chief Strategy & UK External Affairs Officer, National Grid Producer: Alexandra Carlon Editor: Alexandra Carlon #AI #DataCentres #EnergyTransition #ElectricityMarkets #PowerSystems #GridInfrastructure #Renewables #Flexibility #Decarbonisation #EnergyPolicy #Hyperscalers #DigitalInfrastructure #CleanEnergy #PluggedInPodcast #MontelNews

    Keeping pace with power hungry data centres
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About

Coming from the heart of the Montel newsroom, Editor-in-Chief, Snjolfur Richard Sverrisson and his team of journalists explore the news headlines in the energy sector, bringing you in depth analysis of the industry’s leading stories each week.   Richard speaks to experts, analysts, regulators, and senior business leaders to the examine not just the what, but the why behind the decisions directing the markets and shaping the global transition to a green economy.   New episodes are available every Thursday.

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