Switched On

When Covid-19 disrupted global supply chains, many people realized for the first time how vulnerable these complex systems really are. Some Western governments have responded by looking to expand manufacturing on their own soil. In today’s episode, we are joined by Antoine Vagneur-Jones, BNEF’s Head of Trade and Supply Chains, to discuss what a turn toward domestic clean-energy manufacturing may mean for battery and solar value chains. As Antoine explains, any such shift would bring benefits – but also come at a cost. This podcast is based on the BNEF Research Note titled Localizing Clean Energy Supply Chains Comes at a Cost. This can be read at BNEF < GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, at bnef.com or via our mobile app. This episode was produced by Mariko O'Neil. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 27th Conference of the Parties has concluded in Egypt, with the annual UN climate summit finally reaching a deal after two days of overtime. In today’s show, we take a closer look at the Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan.  Headed into COP27, many referred to the event as the “implementation COP,” given the need to deliver on previous commitments. To tell us how this year’s COP performed against stated objectives, we speak with Victoria Cuming, global head of policy at BNEF. From loss and damage, to carbon trading, to funding the $100 billion of climate finance promised to developing nations, Vicky shares her scorecard on how this COP measured up against expectations. This podcast is based off the BNEF research note “Implementation COP Fails to Implement Much Climate Action.” It can be read at BNEF< GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal, at bnef.com or via our mobile app.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe is constructing a more flexible electricity grid to prepare for what is shaping up to be a volatile transition to net zero. There is a range of projects ranging from the mega, such as the proposal to build artificial islands in the North Sea, to the micro, for example, deploying distributed resources to make residential and industrial customers more flexible. In this episode, Sanjeet Sanghera speaks with Chris Peeters, CEO of Elia Group. They explore what Elia is doing in both of these domains of grid flexibility and how Europe is preparing for this winter.Research on electricity grids by BloombergNEF can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, at bnef.com, or on BNEF's mobile app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natural gas prices remain elevated and security of supply is uncertain. In Europe, the reduced flows of natural gas coming from Russia have impacted everything from home heating to manufacturing. As we head into winter in the Northern Hemisphere, what is likely to happen in natural gas markets and what factors are important to consider when we think about implications beyond this year? In today’s episode, we hear from Stefan Ulrich and Arun Toora, who are both European gas specialists at BNEF. They address outstanding questions like whether Europe has enough gas in storage to make it through this winter and how big of a role demand destruction could play. Complimentary research from BNEF includes the ‘European Gas Winter Outlook 2022: Demand Swings Too Far?’ and ‘Global LNG Winter Outlook 2022-2023.’  These can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, at bnef.com and on our mobile app. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The voluntary carbon offsets market is growing as companies and countries look to meet their climate goals. Offsets from agriculture have been getting attention recently. While they comprise only 1% of total offsets today, their potential to spur innovation and change in agricultural practices means there is scope for a much bigger impact. From soil management to livestock-related activities, farmers are at the heart of the agriculture offsets market. Today, we speak about what agriculture carbon offsets are, what one needs to think about when considering whether the emissions reductions are additional, and who is keeping an eye on them. To provide us with those details, Kyle Harrison, Head of Sustainability Research at BNEF, joins us on the show. For further reading on this topic, BNEF subscribers can read, Agriculture Carbon Offsets Outlook: Barren to Bountiful, at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, and bnef.com or via our mobile app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several countries in Africa are looking to expand their energy systems to meet rising electricity demand. The question remains whether they will industrialize in the same way developed nations have done in the past, or whether they will install a greater proportion of low-carbon technologies. The region is at an inflection point and just like in Robert Frost’s poem The Road Not Taken, choosing the road less traveled may have benefits.   As we look ahead to the COP27 summit, which will be held in Egypt in November 2022, climate finance for the developing world will be in the spotlight. Today, we speak with Chasity McFadden, an energy transition analyst at BloombergNEF focused on Africa, about what she is seeing in the region. Through case studies in Namibia and South Africa, we think about what the future energy system could look like in Sub-Saharan Africa. For additional information, BNEF subscribers can read the research notes titled Namibia Spearheads Energy Storage in Sub-Saharan Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa’s Power Technology Debate, and South Africa Tackles Power Outages Through Private Sector. These can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, at bnef.com, or on BNEF's mobile app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Solar has a critical role to play in decarbonizing the global energy system. It also has the potential to reduce power price volatility by increasing domestically produced energy supply in some parts of the world. In 2022, BloombergNEF expects to see yet another record year of solar build. This is all the while the cost of components, materials and projects remains elevated. In today’s episode of Switched On, Dana Perkins speaks with Jenny Chase, head of solar at BNEF, about what is happening in the solar industry today and what she expects to see going forward. This podcast draws upon research found in the BNEF 3Q 2022 Global PV Market Outlook, which can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, at bnef.com, or via our mobile app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Batteries for electric vehicles and stationary storage are increasingly in demand. But while ever-cheaper batteries were expected only a couple of years ago, supply turbulence for the key metals needed has increased prices in 2022 and made future costs uncertain. Depending on the chemistry selected, battery metals can make up 60-80% of a battery’s total cost. Alongside human rights concerns, metals prices have led battery manufacturers to take a closer look at their chemistries.  In today’s episode of Switched On, we speak with Kwasi Ampofo, head of metals and mining at BNEF, about the outlook for battery metals – specifically, lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite. This episode draws upon the research found in BNEF’s 1H 2022 Battery Metals Outlook: Supply Turbulence Ahead, which can be found at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, at bnef.com, or via our mobile app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not long ago, floating offshore wind turbines were treated as conceptual cleantech. More recently, they have become reality with gigawatts of capacity slated for installation within this decade. In this episode, we discuss the potential for floating wind, its growth drivers and cost trends with Oliver Metcalfe, head of wind research at BloombergNEF, and Luisa Amorim, the offshore wind specialist at BNEF. This episode draws upon research found in the BNEF 1H 2022 Offshore Wind Market Outlook and was produced by Sanjeet Sanghera. To access this research, subscribers can find it at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, at bnef.com or via our mobile app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the years following the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011, the conversation around decarbonizing the energy sector moved away from nuclear. However, current commodity price volatility has brought nuclear back to the fore and countries that were previously focused on decommissioning nuclear power stations are now, once again, discussing its virtues. Will this spur a nuclear renaissance and how might this time be different from the 1960s and 1970s? What technology breakthroughs could make the future of nuclear different, and will they happen quickly enough to respond to current market signals? To address these questions and more, Dana Perkins speaks with Chris Gadomski, lead nuclear analyst at BloombergNEF. This episode of Switched On draws upon a BNEF research note titled, Nuclear 1H 2022 Market Outlook: Unprecedented Opportunity. To access this research, BNEF subscribers can find it at BNEF on the Bloomberg Terminal, at bnef.com or via our mobile app.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.