Energy Unplugged by Aurora

In this episode we’re delighted to welcome Chris Hansen, State Senator for Colorado in a conversation with our Head of USA, Oliver Kerr. Chris entered politics in 2016, he had a long career in the energy sector, both in academia and industry, he’s an energy expert by training, with a master degree from MIT, and a PhD from Oxford University. Oliver and Chris discuss: * The energy transition in Colorado and the role government has to play * The role for markets in the energy transition * The progress of decarbonisation wider in the US Support the show

Join Hugo Batten, Managing Director in Australia at Aurora, in an exciting episode of the podcast dedicated to the Australian Energy Market. With special guests Skipp Williamson, Managing Director at Partners in Performance, and Brian Innes, Global Technical Director specializing in energy transformation practice, this episode delves into the challenges and opportunities for large energy users in Australia to decarbonize their electricity supply. Skipp Williamson, named by the Australian Financial Review as the 2019 most influential consultant, shares her insights on how she sees decarbonization as an opportunity rather than a challenge for large energy users, which derives significant cost reduction and increased productivity. The discussion also touches upon the importance of hybrid solutions and supply chain optimizations for big industrial users in the global market, including South Africa and Europe. The episode also explores the complex coal closure process in Australia over the last decade and the role of technology and service in driving energy transition. The podcast highlights Australia's strong policy thinking and appetite for change, while acknowledging that implementation may lag behind other countries like the UK and New Zealand. The role of governance and the need for the right mechanisms and incentives for investment reliability are also discussed, with a focus on the quality of carbon offsets in Australia, praised globally due to policies like The Safeguard Mechanism, implemented by the Australian government to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from large industrial facilities in the energy sector. Don't miss this informative and thought-provoking episode on the Australian Energy Market, packed with insights from industry experts and leaders in the field. Tune in now to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and policy landscape in Australia's energy transition journey. Support the show

In this episode, we are delighted to welcome Jeanne Soh - Head of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Structured Finance Department Asia Pacific, SMBC, Jason Humphreys - Partner Singapore, Allen Overy and Rowan von Spreckelsen - Principal at Research Analytics, Aurora in a discussion with our Managing Director for Australia Hugo Batten on some of the major challenges and opportunities in Asia Pacific Region for energy project finance. This episode is the third in a series on global project finance, organised in partnership with SMBC Group.  With a number of 4 episodes covering Europe, Australia, Asia and the US, this series is hosted by Aurora, with guests from SMBC Group, various law firms and Aurora. The APAC region has varying levels of development when it comes to financing alternative energy solutions, with different markets exhibiting different levels of activity in energy and project finance based on technologies and geographies. Taiwan has shown increased interest in offshore wind, and its regulatory environment is favourable. Corporate PPAs are expected to be crucial in Taiwan, which has a clear regulatory framework for offshore wind. However, implementation may take some time. India has high investment and growth in alternative energy solutions, driven by demand from C&I customers, with a focus on hybrid-type solutions. Vietnam has many investors interested in its energy solutions, and has already been a leader in the region due to its solar capacity additions as part of its coal phase-out. Indonesia has room to grow in terms of renewable energy deployment, but has faced challenges with the tendering process and achieving grid-connected PPAs. There is also little visibility on how the carbon trading mechanism for coal plants will be implemented. Japan's corporate PPA market has seen a lot of interest, with batteries also becoming a major focus. However, there are concerns regarding the deliverability of some of the government targets, particularly given policy uncertainty and commodity price fluctuations. Support the show

In this episode, we’re delighted to welcome Julian Nebreda, CEO & President of Fluence, in a conversation with our Head of USA, Oliver Kerr and our Head of Advisory, US West, Felix Chow-Kambitsch.  Julian leads the Fluence team and its efforts to accelerate energy storage adoption globally. Prior to joining Fluence, he had a distinguished career at the AES Corporation serving as President of the South America Strategic Business Unit and other multiple positions. Julian has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry as well as a remarkable expertise as a Fluence board member since September 2021. Main topics include: •The outlook for battery storage globally going forward  •The evolution of battery business model and to what extent business ownership models need to change  •The impact of the Inflation Reduction Act  •How easy it is to scale battery optimisation in-house Support the show

This week on Energy Unplugged, we are delighted to welcome Daisuke Tsujimoto, co-founder of Renova Inc – a Japanese renewable and storage developer. Joined by our Managing Director of APAC & California, Hugo Batten, and Rowan von Spreckelsen, our Head of New Markets in APAC, this discussion focuses on the trajectory and strategy of Renova, the evolution of Japan’s power markets, and the politics and policies of energy security in Japan. Main topics include: •Market reforms in Japan including switching from Feed-in-Tariffs to Feed-in-Premiums and introduction of 20 yr capacity market •The future of Japan’s nuclear fleet •Network access reform and the challenge of connecting renewables and batteries in parts of Japan •Future demand for hydrogen and ammonia in Japan Support the show

In this episode we’re delighted to welcome Simon-Erik Ollus, EVP, Generation and Member of the Executive Management at Fortum in a conversation with our Nordics & Baltics Lead, Alexander Esser.  Simon-Erik has been with Fortum since 2009 and held various roles in strategy and market intelligence and has been a member of the division’s management team since 2013. He has been appointed Executive Vice President of Fortum’s Generation division and member of Fortum’s Executive Management in March 2021. The Generation division is responsible for Fortum’s Nordic power generation in nuclear, hydro, and wind power plants. Simon-Erik and Alexander discuss: •Fortum’s new strategy after exiting Russia and Uniper •What’s missing in recent reform proposals for electricity market design •The role of nuclear in the Nordics Support the show

In this episode, we are delighted to welcome Kate Tuohy, Director, Energy at MUFG in a conversation with our Co-Head of Advisory in Central Europe, Thekla von Bülow.  Kate has over 12 years’ project finance experience focusing on structuring and arranging project financing, financial advisory and restructuring across the infrastructure, power and renewables sectors. Kate joined MUFG in September 2019 from ESB, Ireland’s state electricity utility where she had responsibly for structuring debt and equity funding solutions for new generation projects (thermal, renewable and flexible generation) within ESB’s portfolio.  Main topics include: •The renewables landscape in Europe, US & China •The offshore wind and differences in various European markets •The hydrogen investment space  If you want to hear more from other global energy leaders, join the Aurora Spring Forum 2023 taking place on 29 March in Oxford, UK. The Forum offers a full day of intellectual engagement and thought-provoking analysis, with the opportunity to network with hundreds of the most influential players in the energy sector.  The topic for this year focuses on: Facing New Realities: Rethinking Energy Use, Supply, and Policy in the Wake of the Global Energy Crisis. Spaces are limited so book your ticket now! Find out more at auroraer.com/events/spring-forum/ Support the show

This week, on Energy Unplugged, we welcome Keith Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of ScottishPower in a conversation with our Managing Director for UK & Ireland, Dan Monzani.  Keith is the CEO of ScottishPower since 2018 and prior to being the CEO of ScottishPower, Keith spent 12 years as the CEO of ScottishPower Renewables. As part of Iberdrola, ScottishPower Renewables is one of the leading global wind companies with over 20 GW of installed capacity.  Main topics include: •The value ScottishPower sees in maintaining an integrated business model •The level of ambition in grid networks and how do we deliver it to get to NetZero •The UK retail market, vulnerable consumers and how the future is looking for them If you want to hear more from Keith and other global energy leaders, join the Aurora Spring Forum 2023 taking place on 29 March in Oxford, UK. The Forum offers a full day of intellectual engagement and thought-provoking analysis, with the opportunity to network with hundreds of the most influential players in the energy sector.  The topic for this year focuses on: Facing New Realities: Rethinking Energy Use, Supply, and Policy in the Wake of the Global Energy Crisis. Spaces are limited so book your ticket now! Find out more at https://auroraer.com/events/spring-forum/ Support the show

In this episode, our Co-Head of Advisory for Central Europe, Casmir Lorenz is joined by Deborah Harvey and Hugo Lidbetter, both Partners for Energy at Osborne Clarke.  Deborah specialises in energy sector transactions and agreements and advises on a range of commercial and regulatory energy matters across a range of technologies. Hugo has particular expertise in project development work in the energy sector and in construction law in the energy industry, and is interested in all aspects of the Net Zero agenda having recently authored a book called "Decarbonising Energy: The Pathway to Net Zero". The focus of the conversation is on long-term offtake contracts, including:  •The shift from subsidy support to revenue support/sharing •The role of shorter-term corporate and virtual Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) •The revenue structuring and optimisation of co-located assets •Contract structuring for newer technologies such as hydrogen Support the show

In this episode, our Research Lead for European Power Markets, Ryan Alexander is joined by Ben Backwell, CEO of The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).  Ben is a former journalist and analyst who has covered energy policy and markets in a number of geographies including Europe, the US and Latin America. Before joining GWEC, he worked for the global advisory company FTI Consulting, as a Managing Director in its Clean Energy Practice.  Ben and Ryan take a global tour of the offshore wind discussing: •The offshore wind sector in the US and the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act  •Europe’s challenges of having the largest installed capacity of offshore wind by region  •Offshore wind targets in Asia and the massive expansion of renewables in China •Oil & gas majors moving into the offshore wind space and where we see the most promising markets Support the show