Energy Unplugged by Aurora

Dr. Sopna Sury discusses the hydrogen landscape, covering challenges, future outlook, and RWE's 2030 targets. Topics include policy hurdles, regional competitiveness in Europe, and the EU's Response to the Inflation Reduction Act.

In this episode of Energy Unplugged, we discuss renewables and storage development in the US and Australian markets. We are delighted to welcome Declan Flanagan, Founder & CEO of Bluestar Energy Capital, in conversation with our Managing Director for APAC & California, Hugo Batten, and our Research Lead for US West, Kimberly Liu. Prior to founding and directing Bluestar Energy Capital, Declan served as EVP at Ørsted and CEO of Ørsted’s onshore renewables business. He was also the Founder & CEO of Lincoln Clean Energy (acquired by Ørsted in 2018). Declan has led over $10 billion in capital investment in global clean energy and holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and a BSc from the University of Galway. Main topics include the following: • Consequences of rising financing costs and supply chain issues for renewables and storage • Structural opportunities in the WECC region • Grid issues in Australia and potential solutions Support the show

In this episode of Energy Unplugged, we discuss Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) and explore how this space is gathering momentum as its pivotal role in supporting the Energy Transition becomes increasingly recognised. We are pleased to have Robert Todd, Managing Director at CIBC Capital Markets, join us in conversation with our Head of Research for the UK & Ireland, Marc Hedin. Robert joined CIBC three years ago to help expand their advisory platform activities globally, with recent experiences across offshore wind (floating & fixed), onshore wind, solar, energy storage (LDES and battery), hydrogen, and synfuels (e-methanol). Prior to CIBC, he held positions at HSBC and Barclays Capital. Main topics include the following: • LDES technologies and their new applications • The best markets to develop LDES • Financing and bankability of LDES projects Support the show

On this episode of Energy Unplugged, we are delighted to welcome Andy Bowman, Founder & CEO of Jupiter Power, discussing renewables in the US with our Managing Director for North America, Oliver Kerr. Over his 25-year career in renewables, Andy has had executive responsibility for more than 3,600 MW of wind and solar projects and 1,400 MWh of energy storage projects which are currently operational or under construction. Prior to founding and managing Jupiter Power, he was CEO and founder of Pioneer Green Energy, Chief Development Officer at E.On Climate & Renewables, SVP Development at Airtricity, and CEO and founder of Renewable Generation Inc. Notably, he is also the author of “The West Texas Power Plant That Saved the World.” Main topics include the following: The role of capital and infrastructure in both creating and combating climate change The role of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and industrial policy in supporting domestic labour and manufacturing The US battery storage market Support the show

On this episode of Energy Unplugged, we are delighted to welcome Craig Francis, CEO of Genex Power, discussing renewables and storage development in the Australian market with our Managing Director for APAC and California, Hugo Batten, and our Research Lead for Australia, James Ha.   Craig is an experienced leader with a career spanning over 15 years in financial markets as well as a deep knowledge of the energy sector. He joined Genex in 2017 to lead the commercial development of the Company’s portfolio, being appointed CFO in 2021, and CEO in 2023. Prior to Genex, Craig was part of the corporate finance team at Cantor Fitzgerald Europe in the UK, where he focused on advising clients in the energy and natural resources sectors. He also worked at RFC Ambrian and Helmsec Global Capital.   Main topics include the following: • Pumped hydro in Australia and its economics • The renewable and storage development landscape in the National Electricity Market (NEM) • Policy and market frameworks in Australia Support the show

On this week’s Energy Unplugged episode, Ryan Alexander, our Research Lead for European Power Markets, welcomes our colleagues Eva Zimmermann, Associate and Lead for Flexible Energy and Guillermo Ríos, Research Analytics Associate, to disclose the main insights from our European Battery Markets Attractiveness Report. Europe is an immensely promising region for investment in batteries, driven by ambitious decarbonisation targets and projected exponential growth in renewables. Make the most of this booming market with the 3rd edition of the European Battery Markets Attractiveness Report releasing next week! This highly anticipated report provides insights on investment trends, policy environments, value drivers, and project economics, helping you conduct initial market scanning to identify the most attractive European markets for investment in batteries. Key topics include the following: Identifying the top three markets in Europe, the reasons behind their prominence, and Germany's standing in comparison. What were the main regulatory changes in Europe over the last year, and what do they mean for developers and investors? Battery economics, including the consequences of participating in auctions and the costs of supply chains issues. Support the show

Ralph Johnson, Head of UK Business Development at Habitat Energy, discusses battery storage optimization, strategies of battery asset owners, and the future of the battery market. They explore the importance of a good battery optimiser, maximizing lifetime value for battery storage projects, and the advantages of building optimization software internally. They also discuss the value of a good optimizer during difficult trading periods and the impact of asset saturation and changes to the balancing market. Lastly, they compare the markets of UK, Australia, and Texas in the US and highlight the differences in trading and opportunities for battery storage.

Michael Terrell, Senior Director for Energy and Climate at Google, discusses power consumption of data centers, achieving Google's 24/7 carbon-free energy goal, upcoming policy developments, and potential carbon reduction solutions.

In this episode of Energy Unplugged, James Johnston, CEO & Co-Founder of Piclo, engages in a discussion with Matteo Coriglioni, our Head of Italy, and Eva Zimmermann, Associate at Aurora. Together, they delve into the roles that flexibility and the deployment of new flexible technologies play as two of the key enabling factors for the energy transition. James, who initiated his career with three years of microgrid research at the University of Strathclyde, co-founded Solar Sketch in 2009—a design company for the solar industry. He also gained experience at the international engineering firm Arup. In 2013, James co-founded Piclo, the leading marketplace for flexibility services. The platform has been steadily expanding its presence across the UK, Europe, and the USA. James is recognised as a sought-after expert and published author, contributing chapters to academic books on peer-to-peer energy and local flexibility trading. Main topics include the following: •Why are flexibility and flexibility analysis crucial right now? •Are grid constraints more of an opportunity or of a bottleneck for flexibility assets development? •How are Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and Distribution System Operators (DSOs) coordinating, and how can they improve their level of coordination? Support the show

In this episode of Energy Unplugged, Pascale Courcelle, Director of Real Estate and Energy Environment Financing at Bpifrance, engages in a discussion with our Head of France, Pierre Denery, and our Co-Head of Advisory for Central Europe, Thekla von Bülow. The conversation focuses on the Renewable Electricity Guarantee Fund (GER), a guarantee fund for Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) launched in France in September 2023. Pascale began her career as a business manager in Brittany and later joined the credit committee of the bank’s head office, specialising in property financing for companies in the Ile de France region. When Bpi was established in 2012, she had already joined the renewable energy project financing team, eventually being appointed Director of Real Estate and Energy Environment Financing in 2017. Additionally, she serves as the Vice-president of the Financial Lease Commission (ASF) and is behind the creation of the GER. Main topics include the following: • Which parties can benefit from the GER and what criteria are used to assess which producers and projects should receive funding? • How is the PPA price calculated, and what proportion of it is covered by the GER? • How does the GER compare with other PPA funds already established in European countries like Spain and Norway? Support the show