Redefining Energy

Laurent Segalen and Gerard Reid

Two investment bankers weekly explore how tech, finance, markets and regulations are radically redefining the world of energy: Renewable Energy, Electric Cars, Hydrogen, Battery Storage, Digitisation... Your co-hosts: from Berlin, Gerard Reid and from London, Laurent Segalen. Our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/redefining-energy/ X handle: @Redef_Energy

  1. 21 HR AGO

    210. Our Predictions for 2026

    Happy New Year energy nerds As tradition demands (and lawyers insist), the first episode of the year is the annual ritual where Gerard, Laurent, and Michael boldly predict the future of the energy transition… and then publicly roast themselves for last year’s bad calls. Before unleashing our 2026 Predictions, we do a mandatory rewind to the crystal-ball disasters of 2025: The 2025 prophecy graveyard:US oil production down in 2025 (MB — bold, brave… wrong)Oil at $40/bbl in 2025 (GR — oof)Geopolitics + broken supply chains + energy chaos = a better, more innovative world (LS — still hoping)A bloodbath for hydrogen in transportation (MB — disturbingly accurate)Record installs: Solar 700GW, EVs 20m, Batteries 200GWh (spot on)The death of all things labelled ESG, Climate, and Carbon (LS — prematurely optimistic)Scorecard: Gerard absolutely nailed Silver: from $30/oz to $60/oz in 18 months. BP technically survived 2025… but welcomed a new CEO, so partial credit at best. Michael wins overall, which he will remind us of repeatedly. After heroic levels of co-host sabotage, Laurent loses again, as is now canon. Our 2026 Predictions: 🔥 China battery systems at $40/kWh, full-system LFP (MB) 🔥 Half of all announced datacenters will never be built — welcome to the credit + grid crisis (LS) 🔥 Wind and solar installs DOWN in 2026 vs 2025 (GR — spicy) 🔥 20GW of solar in Africa in 2026 (MB) 🔥 The GhG Protocol revision fight gets ugly, personal, and possibly litigious (LS) 🔥 LNG glut creates stranded assets everywhere: flat demand, too much supply, tears on spreadsheets (GR) And yes, plenty more hot takes, bruised egos, and inconvenient truths to kick off the year the right way. 🎙️ Welcome to 2026. Let’s redefine energy.

    33 min

  2. 22/12/2025

    209. Deals, Scandals and other memorable moments of 2025

    For our final episode of the year, Laurent jumped onto the Wolfe Power podcast, where he and host Alex Wolfe took a no-nonsense tour through the big energy moments that shaped 2025.  Deals of the Year: The spectacular offshore wind meltdown in the US — Orsted’s year of pain — contrasted with the blazing global boom in battery deployment all over the world, up a staggering 50% year-on-year.The AI & Datacenter Surge: An extraordinary rise… but how much of it is grounded in facts, and how much is built on faith?Scandals & Disgraces: From the SMR pump-and-dump circus to Venture Global’s LNG “ghosts ships,” and of course the Tony Blair report debacle — 2025 delivered drama.Innovations That Actually Mattered: V2G is born thanks to Octopus and BYD and ever larger LFP form factors are reshaping storage — real progress amid the noise.Quotes of the Year: A remarkable harvest of sharp insights capturing the zeitgeist… and, inevitably, a mountain of nonsense worth calling out.To all our listeners: Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and thank you for riding through 2025 with us. We’ll be back in early January with our Predictions episode — always a very popular one.

    38 min

  3. 15/12/2025

    208. AI vs. Energy: the cost of speed - dec25

    Will artificial intelligence reshape the power grid, or will the inertia and complexity of today’s infrastructure slow progress—or even redefine how large language models, chips, and datacenters are designed and located?   To meet the exponential rise in energy demand, parts of the industry have taken shortcuts—rapidly adding behind-the-meter capacity through open-cycle gas turbines - OCGT (such as the Titan 350 from Caterpillar) with little regard for environmental regulations. The mantra seems to be speed at any cost.   Is the AI boom we are witnessing justified—or sustainable? From a technological standpoint, certainly yes: AI capability is roughly doubling every seven months. But from a financial perspective, it is harder to defend—given the sky-high valuations, credit fuelled growth and mounting losses at many of the sector’s biggest players.   The bigger question is what all this means for the energy system itself. How will AI be powered? What will it do to the cost of energy and the shape of our infrastructure? Will it accelerate—or hinder—the energy transition?   Hope is powerful—but it can also be blind. Between AI’s explosive growth and the traditional energy system’s entrenched realities, who will bear the cost?   These are the questions Laurent and Gerard pose to Andrew Perry, Director of the Energy Transition and Environment business unit at Faculty.ai, where he leads AI-driven innovation in the energy sector.   We have a heated debate, trying to honestly lay out the dilemmas in front of the industry.  More insights in this excellent research by the FT https://ig.ft.com/ai-power/ Today’s show is supported by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt. The BMW Foundation unites leaders from diverse sectors to develop solutions that foster an innovative economy and a future-proof society. A key focus is "Energy Transition & Climate Change," where the Foundation drives "International collaboration to accelerate the energy transition." With rising energy demands from AI and data centers, new partnerships, effective collaboration, and the exchange of science-based solutions and strategies are essential. That’s why the BMW Foundation supports this podcast and brings these discussions to global stages by hosting the Energy Security Hub at the Munich Security Conference 2026, streaming live February 12–14. Learn more at www.bmw-foundation.org

    31 min

  4. 08/12/2025

    207. E-Mobility and V-2-X - dec25

    Gerard is on stage with Adele Zhao - Trina Solar and Thomas Raffeiner- The Mobility House at the Smarter E Conference. In a conversation hosted by Jonathan Gifford, they discuss about the future for the intersection of e-mobility and renewable energy.   The conversation has been released as an Episode of “Powering Through” entitled The Resilience of Renewables. Participants take a closer look at the power of the e-mobility revolution, and what is needed to continue to push it forward. The uptake of e-mobility in Europe and China is discussed, along with the implications for energy storage and industry. Ultimately, the promise of a vast, mobile fleet of batteries is presented – offering a hopeful vision for emissions-free mobility and energy provision.   Main topics:What is the status of e-mobility adoption and implications for car makersHow EVs can interact with the grid and the promise for energy securityWhat Global EV-Battery Cooperation Might Look LikeYou can watch it on Youtube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=M2qM58Vz9Rc

    29 min

  5. 01/12/2025

    206. Renewables Repriced: Hedge Funds and Algo power trading - dec25

    For much of the past two decades, renewable energy investment was viewed as a core infrastructure play—favoured by funds and long-term capital seeking predictable, government-backed cash flows. Yet the gradual phase-out of subsidies and the increasing exposure of renewables to wholesale power price volatility have eroded that stability. Are investors misreading the new market dynamics? And can renewable portfolios be optimized under a fundamentally different investment logic? FlexPower, founded in 2022 in Hamburg and, as of October 2025, fully owned by Citadel, the global hedge fund, represents this shift. The firm operates at the intersection of short-term power trading and battery optimization, deploying data-driven strategies across European markets. FlexPower exemplifies how agile, technology-led firms are reshaping power markets by leveraging algorithmic trading, high-frequency data analytics, and real-time dispatch optimization. Their approach contrasts sharply with traditional infrastructure investors who continue to rely on fixed offtake agreements and policy support. In conversation with FLexPower Managing Director Amani Joas, Laurent and Gerard examine how algorithmic trading and hedge fund participation are redefining price formation in grids increasingly dominated by intermittent renewables. The discussion highlights a structural divergence: while incumbents pursue regulatory certainty, new entrants monetize volatility itself—treating renewable assets as dynamic trading platforms rather than passive infrastructure. The energy transition is no longer just a technological revolution—it’s a financial one.

    32 min

  6. 24/11/2025

    205. Elexon: The Hidden Engine of Britain’s Power Market - nov25

    Running a power market isn’t just about generating electricity—it’s about making sure every kilowatt is accounted for. Someone has to calculate who owes what, make sure the rules are fair, and keep the system balanced in real time. Think of it as being an accountant, a banker, and a referee—all rolled into one. In the UK, that vital but largely invisible role is handled by Elexon. Elexon is the Balancing and Settlement Code Company (BSCCo) for Great Britain. They are the neutral heartbeat of the electricity market, making sure the lights stay on and energy imbalances are accurately billed. They provide the transparency, fairness, and precision that keeps the whole system running—and prevent anyone from gaming the market. Formerly part of National Grid, Elexon has always been independent and is owned by the 13 largest market participants. In this episode, Laurent and Gerard sit down with Peter Stanley, CEO of Elexon, to dive deep into the nuts and bolts of the balancing market. They break down why system costs have quintupled in recent years, hitting £8 billion a year, how settlement processes are being modernized, and the surprising ways AI is starting to shape the market. Elexon isn’t just about numbers—it’s the backbone of the UK’s Clean Power by 2030 plan (CP30). By keeping the system balanced and efficient, Elexon is helping drive the near-total elimination of fossil fuels from the power grid, making a cleaner, greener future possible. Get ready for a technical—but fascinating—ride behind the scenes of the UK electricity market.

    30 min

  7. 17/11/2025

    204. Live from COP30 – WTFFF and Other Tales from the Amazon

    Laurent sits down with Bruce Douglas, CEO of the Global Renewable Alliance, for a live conversation from COP30 in Belém, Brazil. They explore how COP30 is structured, the role of the Global Renewable Alliance, and the dynamics among participants. The 800-pound gorilla in the room—the United States—hasn’t derailed the negotiations, but one might ask: does it really matter? The real action, Bruce explains, takes place in the Blue Zone and the Green Zone, rather than in the endless debates over whether the final text will call to “phase out,” “phase down,” or “phase up” fossil fuels. With investments in clean technologies now triple those in fossil fuels, the global momentum toward renewables seems unstoppable. The COP text, increasingly, feels symbolic—if not irrelevant. Together, Laurent and Bruce celebrate the ongoing success of bottom-up implementation and the steady deployment of proven technologies, rather than top-down grand initiatives. They also touch on a new forestry initiative, TFFF—dubbed “WTF-FF” by Laurent—which, they suspect, may fade away like tears in the rain. Packed with anecdotes about the Amazon rainforest, chaotic logistics, Saudi Arabia’s surprising investments in boxing, and other quirky insights, this episode strikes an optimistic tone. Whatever COP30’s final declaration may say, one thing is clear: renewables have already won.

    20 min

  8. 10/11/2025

    203. Peak Solar - nov25

    Solar energy has experienced explosive growth over the past five years — doubling in capacity outside of China and quadrupling within China. But with this rapid expansion come new concerns: Are we scaling too quickly? And is the proliferation of solar now starting to strain power grids, creating more problems than solutions? Enter the concept of the “3 Cs” — Congestion, Curtailment, and Cannibalization — a term coined by Richard Sverisson at Montel. It captures the growing pains of an energy system being transformed at unprecedented speed. To unpack this, Laurent and Gerard welcome one of the world’s leading voices in solar energy: Sam Wilkinson, Head of Renewables at S&P Global Commodity Insights. Sam leads a team of 20 global experts focused on analysing and forecasting trends across renewable energy markets, policy, and infrastructure. Their insights, developed in close collaboration with industry stakeholders, are critical for understanding where the solar market is heading. Notably, Sam and his team are forecasting a 100GW decline in new solar capacity in 2026 compared to 2025 — introducing the idea of "Peak Solar." In this conversation, we explore what “peak solar” really means: its causes, how it might unfold, and the ripple effects on the global supply chain. But it’s not all bad news. Market consolidation, geographic diversification, and ongoing innovation in solar technology are helping the industry navigate challenges. As costs continue to fall and accessibility improves, solar remains a cornerstone of the global energy transition. Expect a technical yet insightful discussion on the current headwinds — and future opportunities — in the solar energy sector.

    29 min
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About

Two investment bankers weekly explore how tech, finance, markets and regulations are radically redefining the world of energy: Renewable Energy, Electric Cars, Hydrogen, Battery Storage, Digitisation... Your co-hosts: from Berlin, Gerard Reid and from London, Laurent Segalen. Our LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/redefining-energy/ X handle: @Redef_Energy

Information

  • Creator
    Laurent Segalen and Gerard Reid
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    169
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Laurent Segalen and Gerard Reid
  • Show Website
    Redefining Energy

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