Energy Gang

Wood Mackenzie
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Covering breaking news in clean tech, going deep on global energy policy, and debating the levers that need to move to accelerate the energy transition. Energy Gang is the podcast covering clean energy technology, renewable energy, and the environment. The world of clean energy moves fast, and you need a reliable source to stay on top of the news that matters. You’ll find it on Wood Mackenzie’s Energy Gang. How will changes to the US government affect decarbonisation and energy security? When will hydrogen, nuclear and carbon capture deploy at scale? Where’s the money for the energy transition green finance coming from and how much more is needed? What’s the outlook for EVs? What are the energy predictions for solar energy? What's the latest on climate change? Get answers to questions like these, bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 7am ET. Plus, get special live episodes recorded at the biggest climate and energy events throughout the year, like COP30 and Climate Week NYC. Don’t worry if you can’t make it in person, Energy Gang brings you all the updates on energy policy, energy finance and energy innovation you need to hear. Energy Gang is presented by Wood Mackenzie and hosted by Ed Crooks, Vice-Chairman of Energy at Wood Mackenzie and a former Financial Times and BBC News journalist. Regular guests are Amy Myers-Jaffe (Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab), and Dr Melissa Lott (Partner at Microsoft) – plus a roster of industry leaders and policy influencers, like Jigar Shah (Industry figurehead and former director of the Loan Programs Office in the US Department of Energy), Caroline Golin (Head of North America, Global Energy Market Development and Policy at Google) and Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt (Former Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources). If you like The Energy Transition Show, Catalyst with Shayle Kann, The Big Switch from Columbia University, Open Circuit with Stephen Lacey or The Green Blueprint, you’ll enjoy Energy Gang. Want to get involved with the show? Reach out to podcasts@woodmac.com to: Bring Energy Gang to your event Be a guest on the show Sponsor an episode Ask a question to Ed Crooks or one of our guests Check out another leading clean tech global podcast by Wood Mackenzie, Interchange Recharged: https://www.woodmac.com/podcasts/the-interchange-recharged/ Wood Mackenzie is the leading global data and analytics solutions provider for renewables, energy and natural resources. Learn more about Wood Mackenzie on the official website: https://www.woodmac.com/

  1. 1H AGO

    A power producer’s view of keeping the lights on. What does rising electricity demand from data centers mean for the US grid?

    Energy bills are rising, data centers are multiplying, and the grid is straining to keep up. What happens next?  For two decades, electricity prices in the United States barely moved. Demand was flat, natural gas was cheap, and the system was largely stable. That era is over. A surge in data center construction, accelerating electrification, and the legacy of years of underinvestment in energy infrastructure have collided to create a system under strain. Nowhere is that more visible than in PJM, the largest wholesale power market in the US, stretching from Illinois to North Carolina, and home to some of the world's most active hot spots for data center development. Host Ed Crooks is joined by Paul Segal, CEO of LS Power, and Melissa Lott, Partner for Energy Technologies at Microsoft, to assess how the system can meet the new challenges it faces. LS Power is a leading developer and operator of electricity generation and transmission, so Paul is right at the heart of these questions. He is making multi-billion dollar decisions that shape the ways that America’s electricity gets supplied. He makes the case that competitive markets, given the right rules and durable signals, can deliver the solutions the grid needs. LS Power is pursuing demand response, battery storage, renewable projects, and gas generation simultaneously. And he warns that political interventions, such as price caps, risk weakening the signals that drive investment.  The question of who pays is at the heart of the debate. A bipartisan group of state governors got together with the Trump administration to call for emergency procurement of new generation capacity in PJM, with data centers expected to bear the cost. Paul argues this is inevitable. For hyperscalers to maintain a social license to keep building, he says, households cannot be left to pick up the bill for load growth created by data centers. Melissa brings the consumer perspective, noting that US household electricity prices rose 26% between 2019 and 2024, outpacing income growth and falling hardest on the most energy-vulnerable families.  The episode also looks at longer-term structural solutions, including the case for more competition in transmission planning and the lessons from Texas's wildly successful CREZ program to build out grid infrastructure. It closes with a discussion of another issue that is high on Paul’s agenda: mentorship and training. He believes industry leaders have a responsibility to create opportunities for the next generation, despite the threat to entry-level roles created by AI. There is a huge task in front of us to build the grid of the future, and we need skilled and experienced people to do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 11m

  2. MAR 10

    The war with Iran: what does the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz mean for global energy?

    Tanker traffic dries up, oil, gas and fertilizer prices soar, and the world holds its breath The Strait of Hormuz has long been discussed as one of the single greatest vulnerabilities in global energy supply. Now the risk has become reality. Host Ed Crooks is joined by Amy Myers Jaffe, Director of NYU's Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab, and Chris Aversano, Director of Maritime Partnerships at Wood Mackenzie, to assess what the disruption means for energy markets, supply chains, and the people at the centre of it all. Oil prices briefly spiked to around $119 a barrel before falling back. European natural gas prices have nearly doubled. But those numbers only tell part of the story. In normal times, between 150 and 175 ships would pass through the Strait of Hormuz every day. Since the war began, that has fallen to perhaps 10 to 12 a day. The Strait is a vital artery for the world’s energy and fertilizer supplies. If it is blocked for long, the results could be catastrophic. Amy puts the market's reaction in context. She has been studying the Strait of Hormuz since the 1990s, and says that although the geography is still the same, the technology is different. The threat from drones, drone boats, and other weapons of asymmetric warfare may be harder to neutralise than the weapons that shaped earlier thinking. As she puts it, modern threats to shipping are “not your father's Oldsmobile”. Chris highlights the human dimension of the conflict. An estimated 20,000 seafarers are currently trapped inside the war zone, alongside a further 15,000 people on cruise ships and ferries. Seven merchant mariners have been killed so far, in 13 confirmed or suspected attacks. These are civilians, Chris reminds us: workers sending money home to countries such as the Philippines, Bangladesh and India, or in Eastern Europe, who never expected to find themselves victims of an armed conflict. The discussion also gets into the practicalities of what it would take to restore flows through the Strait. The US government has announced a $20 billion insurance facility to cover hull, machinery and cargo for ships in the Gulf. As Chris explains, that still leaves indemnity insurance, covering liability for spills and other damage, entirely unaddressed. A fully-laden VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) tanker and its cargo is worth upwards of $300 million. Cleaning up a spill of its cargo of 2 million barrels of oil could cost multiples of that. Routes to bypass the Strait of Hormuz are already being activated. Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline to Yanbu, on the Red Sea coast, has seen throughput surge from around 730,000 barrels a day to as much as 2.5 million b/d. The UAE pipeline to Fujairah offers additional relief. But as Amy makes clear, these routes cannot come close to replacing the Strait of Hormuz in full. They do not help Iraq or Kuwait. They carry no LNG. And for refined products, there is no pipeline alternative at all. The episode closes with a broader look at what this crisis means for the future of energy. Amy argues that it reinforces the case for clean technology: when an oil price shock arrives, investment in renewables, EVs, and energy storage tends to follow. Ed points to Europe, now seeing its gas prices spike for the second time in four years, as a place where the arguments for renewables, nuclear, transmission, and demand response are becoming even harder to ignore. Green hydrogen could also benefit, thanks to potential for replacing natural gas in fertilizer supply chains.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 11m

  3. MAR 3

    Are VPPs really a viable solution for easing strain on the grid? Tesla say yes, and they have big plans

    VPPs – virtual power plants – continue to spark heated debate. Are they genuinely a fast, affordable way to add capacity to the grid? Or are they an overhyped concept that falls apart when electricity systems are under stress? To find out, host Ed Crooks welcomes Colby Hastings, the senior director for residential energy at Tesla, to unpack what VPPs can and can’t do for the grid. Colby explains how storage-based VPPs can behave very differently from the classic demand response that relies on consumers changing their behaviour. She sets out Tesla’s thinking on VPPs, including its strategies for customer participation, reliability, and pay-for-performance. Tesla’s model includes opt-outs, backup reserve settings, and transparency via an app. Customer choice is an important principle. Regular guest Amy Myers Jaffy also joins the show, and she debates what’s holding VPPs back from scaling everywhere. Electricity market design can be critical for determining how fast VPPs are adopted. Other issues, including concerns about “double compensation” under net metering systems, are also important. Some regions are moving faster than others. Finally, Colby tells us what’s coming next from Tesla and in the industry. Tesla’s vehicle-to-grid plans are starting to take shape. A pilot, starting with the Cybertruck, was launched last month. And she explains why Puerto Rico is one of the clearest case studies for demonstrating the value of VPPs as critical infrastructure. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    58 min

  4. FEB 27

    Data centers are adding an extra 220 gigawatts of electricity demand in the US. How can the grid cope? A second special episode from the ACORE Policy Forum

    New analysis from Wood Mackenzie shows that 220 gigawatts of additional power demand from data centers is in the pipeline in the US, and 183 GW of that is already backed by firm commercial commitments. That is a huge amount to add in just a few years: it’s equal to about 22% of US peak demand in 2025. The big question is whether the US electricity industry going to be able to meet that additional demand. And if so, how? On the second day of ACORE’s 2026 Policy Forum in Washington, host Ed Crooks talks to industry leaders and experts about the answers to those questions. First he talks to Wood Mackenzie’s Anna Shpitsberg, who is global head of power and renewables research. She breaks down the numbers on electricity demand from new data centers, and discusses some of the implications for the industry. Next up is someone whose role is right at the heart of the data center boom. Arthur Haubenstock is senior counsel at Equinix, which is one of the world’s largest developers, owners and operators. He talks about what data centers actually need in terms of electricity supply, and gives his perspective on some of the controversies currently raging around the industry. A key issue for him is how data center developers can benefit local communities by cutting their electricity bills and strengthening the stability of the grid. He talks about the reality behind popular ideas such as BYOP (bring your own power) and BYONCE (bring your own new clean energy). And he explains why data centers often cannot be flexible loads on the grid, the constraints on backup generation, and why power grids matter. Ray Long, President and CEO of ACORE, then joins the show to talk about his key takeaways from the event. He says the AI-driven data center boom is creating great opportunities for all kinds of energy, including renewables and other low-carbon technologies. But progress is being slowed by three critical challenges: permitting delays, trade policy uncertainty, and regulatory bottlenecks. With electricity demand surging, he says, tackling those policy barriers is essential. Governments and the power industry need to find ways to stop electricity bills soaring and the grid becoming unstable, while enabling the infrastructure buildout required for AI.  Finally, Ed talks to three entrepreneurs who are leading startup companies that aim to build the energy industry of the future. Kimberly Johnston of NextGen Energy, Saxon Metzger of Polaris Ecosystems, and Ebony Seymour of Ellement Group, explain the problems in energy that they are taking on, and talk about what they need to accelerate their growth. This episode is brought to you by ACORE, the nonpartisan nonprofit organization uniquely operating at the intersection of energy affordability, reliability, and clean energy deployment. ACORE is focused on strengthening the electric grid and driving clean energy investment that delivers for the American people.   ACORE’s membership includes industry leaders across the clean energy economy. Nearly 80% of the booming utility-scale domestic clean energy growth was financed, developed, owned, equipped, or contracted by ACORE members.   Visit www.acore.org to learn more about ACORE's work and upcoming events, like the ACORE Finance Forum on May 12-13 in New York City.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    52 min

  5. FEB 26

    How are energy supply chains changing as electricity demand surges? A special episode from the ACORE Policy Forum in Washington

    ACORE, the power and renewables industry group, is this week hosting its annual Policy Forum in Washinton DC. It’s an event where industry leaders and experts discuss how the changing landscape of US energy policy is shaping infrastructure investment, the growth of electricity supply, and the affordability of power.  Host Ed Crooks is recording two special episodes from the forum. This first show is focused on the US government’s attempts to build up a domestic supply chain for renewables and other energy equipment. Ed speaks with Dr Sarah Kapnick, who is the global head of Climate Advisory at JP Morgan, and Peter Toomey, the Chief Development Officer at Cypress Creek Renewables, which is one of the country’s leading energy developers.  They discuss how supply chains and infrastructure for renewable energy are evolving. Demand for electricity is booming, but supply chains are under pressure. Volatile government support creates uncertainty for developers and suppliers. The “one big beautiful bill” (OB3) last year, which scrapped tax credits for wind and solar power, created “cliffs” in support for projects as the deadlines for eligibility are passed. That creates challenges for equipment manufacturers thinking about investing in new production capacity in the US.  The Trump administration, like the Biden administration before it, faces a tension between its objectives of building up US manufacturing, accelerating US electricity supply growth, and making consumers’ power bills more affordable. The ultimate question is whether the US can build resilient, competitive, domestic energy supply chains while balancing affordability, energy security, and surging demand from AI.  Plus, Ed talks to Alice Lin, a senior tax advisor at the Natural Resource Defense council who worked on the Biden administration’s move to increase tax credits for low-carbon energy with the Inflation Reduction Act. They debate the realities of clean energy tax incentives, and in particular the latest changes to the FEOC (Foreign Entities of Concern) rules. The aim is to stop companies from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran from benefiting from US tax credits. But even though the US Treasury recently published guidance on how it will apply the rules from the legislation last year, it is still not entirely clear what effect they will have. Developers, manufacturers and investors are still cautiously feeling their way.  Follow the show wherever you’re listening to it so you don’t miss an episode: there’s more from the Policy Forum coming tomorrow. This episode is brought to you by ACORE, the nonpartisan nonprofit organization uniquely operating at the intersection of energy affordability, reliability, and clean energy deployment. ACORE is focused on strengthening the electric grid and driving clean energy investment that delivers for the American people.   ACORE’s membership includes industry leaders across the clean energy economy. Nearly 80% of the booming utility-scale domestic clean energy growth was financed, developed, owned, equipped, or contracted by ACORE members.   Visit www.acore.org to learn more about ACORE's work and upcoming events, like the ACORE Finance Forum on May 12-13 in New York City.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    49 min

  6. FEB 17

    A solution to the problem of paying for data centre power? Unpacking AWS’s recent 3 gigawatt deal with NIPSCO

    Data centres have become one of the most contentious issue in US power markets. The question of who will pay for the new generation and grid upgrades needed to keep them running has been soaring up the political agenda, and attracting attention in the White House. Host Ed Crooks is joined on this episode by Brandon Oyer, Head of Americas Power & Water at Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Vince Parisi, President & COO at NIPSCO, the Northern Indiana Public Service Company, to discuss a solution. Together, they unpack their new agreement to develop power capacity in northern Indiana, which they say will enable AWS to add 2.4 gigawatts of data centre capacity without sticking everyone else with the bill.  Data centres are not just for AI: they are the “invisible digital backbone” behind everything from banking to healthcare to emergency services, Brandon says. But he also acknowledges that local communities around data centre developments are right to ask hard questions about costs. NIPSCO and other utilities agree. Vince says they welcome the economic activity and tax revenues that new data centres bring, but the goal for the electricity system is to ensure customers “aren’t paying for it.”  AWS and NIPSCO say their agreement, which they announced last November, will achieve that goal. In fact, they expect to save customers money, unlocking $1 billion in customer savings over 15 years. So what actually makes this deal different, and is it a template others can copy? Brandon and Vince walk through the ring-fenced structure (a separate GenCo that funds and builds generation), the performance incentives, and why both sides landed on a 15-year commitment even as data-centre hardware cycles every few years. You’ll also hear why AWS doesn’t see its data centres as truly flexible loads, how the GenCo model let NIPSCO lock in long-lead equipment early, and what plugging this capacity into the MISO power market means for the reliability of electricity supplies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    41 min

  7. FEB 10

    Energy storage steps up: the growing role of batteries on the grid, and the challenge from winter storms

    It’s the hottest sector in the global energy industry right now, driven by rising power demand, the need to back up variable renewable generation, and escalating threats to grid resilience. It is of course, battery storage. Host Ed Crooks and regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe speak with Julian Nebreda, CEO of energy storage systems company Fluence, about why batteries are becoming essential grid infrastructure. At peak hours during the bitterly cold weather that has covered much of North America in recent weeks, batteries accounted for about 1% of US power supply. But even a relatively small share of battery capacity can play an outsized role in preventing outages, Julian says. He argues that batteries are best understood not as replacements for fossil fuels, but as system optimisers: delivering fast-response capacity, stabilising grids and allowing generation assets to run more efficiently. With Amy and Ed, he addresses some of the common myths around batteries’ cold-weather performance, multi-peak demand days and reliability compared with traditional generation. The gang explores the next wave of demand growth for batteries, particularly from new data centres for AI. Julian points to “speed to power” as a major new driver for storage deployment, as the hyperscalers and other tech companies try to bring new data centre capacity online as quickly as they can. Their discussion also covers the geopolitical significance of storage, the attempt to build a battery supply chain in the US, the strengths of distributed versus centralised system designs and examples of operations from Texas to Ukraine. As Amy notes, the industry is still catching up to the full potential of storage, but the potential is enormous. Let us know what you think. We’re on X, at @theenergygang and Bluesky, at ‪@theenergygang.bsky.social‬.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 1m

  8. JAN 27

    How a Texas electric co-op rebuilt for reliability | Sponsored content from Rayburn Electric

    As Texas battles another bout of bitterly cold weather, Energy Gang looks at the lessons that one generation and transmission electric co-operative learned from Winter Storm Uri in 2021. The freeze and subsequent shock to energy prices showed providers how dangerous it can be to rely on the market alone. For Rayburn Electric, a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative, incurring years of power costs in just days was a catalyst for a fundamental reset of its approach to risk and resilience. Host Ed Crooks is joined by Rayburn’s President & CEO David Naylor, and General Counsel Chris Anderson, to hear the story of how they rethought how the co-op could best serve its members, and implemented its new strategy. The crucial steps included a first-of-its-kind securitization for a co-op, to spread costs over decades, and a strategic pivot toward owning generation as a natural hedge for its electricity sales. The co-op bought a power plant, now called the Rayburn Energy Station, and has RES 2 in the works, to meet reliability needs amid rapid load growth. David and Chris share what changedinside the organization too, driven by the principle that ‘status quo is not company policy.’  Operating exclusively within ERCOT, Rayburn provides power to approximately 625,000 Texans across sixteen counties, working collaboratively with four local distribution co-ops. Its infrastructure includes more than 265 miles of transmission lines and more than 1,000 MW of owned generation capacity, including the Rayburn Energy Station, a combined-cycle natural gas plant added to strengthen reliability after Winter Storm Uri. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    45 min
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About

Covering breaking news in clean tech, going deep on global energy policy, and debating the levers that need to move to accelerate the energy transition. Energy Gang is the podcast covering clean energy technology, renewable energy, and the environment. The world of clean energy moves fast, and you need a reliable source to stay on top of the news that matters. You’ll find it on Wood Mackenzie’s Energy Gang. How will changes to the US government affect decarbonisation and energy security? When will hydrogen, nuclear and carbon capture deploy at scale? Where’s the money for the energy transition green finance coming from and how much more is needed? What’s the outlook for EVs? What are the energy predictions for solar energy? What's the latest on climate change? Get answers to questions like these, bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 7am ET. Plus, get special live episodes recorded at the biggest climate and energy events throughout the year, like COP30 and Climate Week NYC. Don’t worry if you can’t make it in person, Energy Gang brings you all the updates on energy policy, energy finance and energy innovation you need to hear. Energy Gang is presented by Wood Mackenzie and hosted by Ed Crooks, Vice-Chairman of Energy at Wood Mackenzie and a former Financial Times and BBC News journalist. Regular guests are Amy Myers-Jaffe (Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab), and Dr Melissa Lott (Partner at Microsoft) – plus a roster of industry leaders and policy influencers, like Jigar Shah (Industry figurehead and former director of the Loan Programs Office in the US Department of Energy), Caroline Golin (Head of North America, Global Energy Market Development and Policy at Google) and Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt (Former Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources). If you like The Energy Transition Show, Catalyst with Shayle Kann, The Big Switch from Columbia University, Open Circuit with Stephen Lacey or The Green Blueprint, you’ll enjoy Energy Gang. Want to get involved with the show? Reach out to podcasts@woodmac.com to: Bring Energy Gang to your event Be a guest on the show Sponsor an episode Ask a question to Ed Crooks or one of our guests Check out another leading clean tech global podcast by Wood Mackenzie, Interchange Recharged: https://www.woodmac.com/podcasts/the-interchange-recharged/ Wood Mackenzie is the leading global data and analytics solutions provider for renewables, energy and natural resources. Learn more about Wood Mackenzie on the official website: https://www.woodmac.com/

Information

  • Channel
    Wood Mackenzie
  • Creator
    Wood Mackenzie
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2026
  • Episodes
    565
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Energy Gang

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