Energy Transitions

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue spoke with two experts on the front lines of recruitment, Alison Lowry, founder of STEM Select and Tom Essex, founder of KIGYO, to find out how to tackle the workforce challenges from the ground up. In this episode you will learn more about: How to move from planning to action when it comes to solving workforce challenges; Why transferable skills are still underutilised and how to change that; How to ensure we attract more women and other underrepresented groups; The role of governments in fostering more effective recruitment; What educational institutions need to do to address skills gaps and headcount challenges; The need for more attractive vocational training programmes to boost the net-zero workforce; Why reskilling programmes are critical to ensuring a sustainable energy transition; Why collaboration between stakeholders might be the greatest asset in solving this challenge.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue finds out more about how to tap into EVs as a source of flexibility by speaking with Gabrielle Clark, Energy and Climate Policy Officer at Eurelectric and Andrew Horstead, Global Power & Utilities Lead Analyst at EY. In this episode you will learn more about: How EVs in Europe could unlock 114TWh of battery capacity for grid flexibility; The current EV uptake in Europe and how customers and prosumers perceive the value of EVs; Barriers to unlocking flexibility with EVs, such as double taxation, lack of smart meters and insufficient charging infrastructure; How to maximise the value proposition of EVs for all stakeholders and why there's a positive outlook for total cost of ownership; How to raise awareness and incentivise drivers to become active players in the electricity market; The importance of aligning market-specific policy and technical action across Europe; Why standardisation in V2G compatibility and data exchange are critical.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Faustine Delasalle, Executive Director Industrial Transition Accelerator and CEO of Mission Possible Partnership, to highlight the pros and cons of Europe's Clean Industrial Deal and to understand whether the policies it contains will address the fragility of European industry. In this episode you will learn more about: The current fragile state of Europe's industries in light of the energy crisis and the need for rapid decarbonisation; The main pillars of the Clean Industrial Deal, designed to reshore and revitalise industrial activities; Potential policy pitfalls and gaps still to be addressed; The importance of reducing energy costs for energy-intensive industries; Why Europe might not be best placed to produce large amounts of clean energy and will need to look abroad to the likes of India, North Africa and the Middle East; The importance of creating markets for made-in-Europe clean commodities; Why industrial decarbonisation doesn't necessarily equal greater competitiveness for European industry; Why there is optimism about reaching a point where clean industry will be the new normal for Europe.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Kenneth Irvin, Partner and Co-Chair of the Energy Practice Team at Sidley, to unpack the policy changes that have had the biggest impact domestically and abroad. Irvin considers the knock-on effect of declaring an energy emergency and explains why he believes there is still hope for renewable energy in the US. In this episode you will learn more about: The stand-out policies and executive orders passed in the first month of Trump's presidency; The potential impact of Trump's America-first policy reforms; The future outlook for US renewables energy markets; The sentiment of US and European investors; The importance of patient capital and a long term outlook to investing in the US; How the US's renewed focus on fossil fuels could impact the energy transition in the US and in Europe; Trump's critical mineral mission in Ukraine. This episode was recorded on 26 February 2025, prior to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's meeting with President Donald Trump at the Whitehouse, which took place on 28 February 2025.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks with Sozon Kokkinaras, VP of Sales for Eastern Europe at Trilliant, to learn more about the kinds of digital tools being deployed in the smart energy transition, the contexts in which they work and why AI can prove beneficial to utilities' bottom lines. In this episode you will learn more about: What a smart energy transition means in terms of infrastructure deployment; How to manage becoming smarter and simultaneously more vulnerable; The increasingly important role of cybersecurity for a smart, more decentralised grid; How to manage the vast amount of data generated from smart devices; Whether AI is making the energy sector smarter or merely producing more data; How AI can aid the (smart) energy transition in terms of revenue protection and directing investments; Case studies demonstrating the positive impact of smart technology.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue spoke to Christoph Gardlo, COO and co-founder of ESFORIN, about how industrial customers are looking to flexibility marketing to maximise their assets in a way that provides grid stability and an economic advantage. In this episode you will learn more about: The importance of industrial flexibility in the context of Europe's decarbonisation, Gamechanging moments in the last ten years impacting the availability of industrial flexibilities, Outlook for intraday markets considering different asset classes and Europe's greener generation profile, The changing mindset and bias of industrial asset owners, How industrials are integrating new energy strategies to maximise available assets and flexibility, Overcoming the local inefficiencies created by flexibility, The complexities of real-time trading and the influence of digitalisation and automation. This episode is brought to you in partnership with ESFORIN. Join ESFORIN, 12-13 March at European Industrial Energy Days in Amsterdam, to learn more about how they are marketing controllable flexibilities profitably for businesses and the environment.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podast, Pamela Largue speaks to Ralf Korntner, Head of NextGen Grid Management at Siemens AG, and Aila Kleemann, Head of Sales & Business Development for IoT at Siemens AG, about how to accelerate grid modernisation in a way that maximises digital tools and gets the most out of current grid assets. In this episode you will learn more about: How to manage the jump from legacy to modern technology; Making the most of the current grid infrastructure to boost resilience; The importance of digitalisation and the power of data to get more out of the grid; The importance of partnerships and effective change management strategies as a means to achieve grid modernisation goals; How Siemens is partnering with Alliander to accelerate flexible grid management in the Netherlands; The mission behind Siemens' Xcelerator programme and how it's making a positive and tangible impact. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Siemens AG.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue sat down with Dr Frederik Doyé, Senior Vice President for Hub Europe at Siemens Energy, and Luca Marchisio, Head of System Strategy at Terna, to understand why and how Europe needs to urgently invest in grid development to achieve greater grid resilience and energy security. In this episode you will learn more about: The critical role of the grid in Europe's energy transition; How Europe is tracking on expanding the grid and establishing the backbone needed for net zero; How modernising the grid can increase resilience; Why a more interconnected grid can help lower energy prices; The importance of investment security in ensuring investment; The most important and urgent actions needed to deliver net zero. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Siemens Energy

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue talks to Jeff Benoit, Vice President - Clean Energy Solutions at PSM, about the challenges US plant operators face and the strategies being employed to mitigate the risks associated with increasing renewables and the potential impact of hydrogen. In this episode you will learn more about: The role of gas in the US' future energy mix; Key challenges plant operators face to ensure gas assets are ready for a decarbonised future; How asset management strategies need to be adjusted to meet sustainability standards Understanding the important role of retrofits; The influence of hydrogen and the impact on the gas sector; Whether carbon capture and storage is an option for US plant operators; How AI and automation are impacting the energy landscape.

In this episode of the Energy Transitions podcast, Pamela Largue speaks to Peter Bronski, founder and CEO of Inflection Point Agency about the existing lack of trust, the damaging impact of misinformation in a digital age and why building trust with stakeholders will be key to achieving our decarbonisation goals. In this episode you will learn more about: Why trust is such an important part of the energy conversation; Where the biggest trust gaps are and what is causing them; The main sources of misinformation; How to engage with people to get buy in on renewable energy projects; The impact of distrust on the energy transition; How to address the lack of trust with energy stakeholders.