Currents Ep296: Ascend Analytics CEO on Navigating the Energy Market
May 1, 2025
Gary Dorris, CEO of Ascend Analytics, shares insights into how his company leverages software and data to navigate the complex energy market. He discusses the increasing role of renewables and storage in power pricing, revealing the challenges of predicting market dynamics. Dorris highlights the impact of data centers and electric vehicles on energy demand and policy. Additionally, he explores the critical role of battery storage in managing renewable energy intermittency, and the advanced forecasting techniques shaping the future of energy.
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Renewables Disrupt Price Formation
- Renewables and storage have transformed power price formation away from just fuel cost times heat rate.
- Weather-driven variability creates extreme negative and high prices unseen in traditional fuel-based markets.
Policy and Load Drive Markets
- Policy now heavily influences power prices alongside demand and supply fundamentals.
- Load growth is rising rapidly, driven by data centers and EVs, creating structural market shifts.
Storage Integrates Renewables
- Battery storage acts as vital integration epoxy for intermittent renewables.
- Storage economically balances renewable supply by charging during low prices and discharging during high prices.