189. Energy Disruptions - (Gerard on "Clean Titans")

Water, wind, sunlight — the driving forces behind renewable energy. The better we can predict them, the more we can accelerate progress and reduce risk.  Weather forecasting is undergoing a quantum leap, powered by breakthroughs in satellites, drones, and artificial intelligence. Once the exclusive domain of national weather services, the industry is now being transformed by a new wave of tech-driven startups. And the market is booming.  In this episode, Laurent and Gerard welcome Dr. Martin J. Fengler, a German mathematician and the founder and CEO of Meteomatics AG. Based in Switzerland, Meteomatics is a cutting-edge weather technology company with over 130 employees and a client base of 600 — including high-profile names like NASA, Lockheed Martin, Toyota, Tesla, and numerous utility companies. About 25% of its clients are in the energy sector.  Meteomatics stands out not only for its AI-driven weather models but also for its proprietary fleet of weather drones, capable of flying up to 6 kilometres high, delivering ultra-precise atmospheric data. The company has raised over $35 million in venture capital to date.  In our conversation, we explore the future of weather tech, its role in tackling climate change, the growing risks of extreme weather, surprising use cases — and yes, even wind theft.  Heads up: This one’s for the geeks.And at the end, Laurent sings for Lisa

Three wise men met and discussed the Seven Sins of The Energy Transition. Laurent, Gerard and Michael dissect seven sectors that have captured attention, investments and public money and are at best dead ends, at worst disasters waiting to happen.Greed — “Subsidy Mining in a Lab Coat” (Carbon Capture & Direct Air Capture)A capital-intensive detour that soaks up public money while delivering trivial abatement at extreme cost, great PR for incumbents, weak climate math. Gluttony — “Three Kilowatt-Hours to Move One” (Hydrogen-for-Energy)An energy-wasting appetite: make H₂ with clean power, then throw most of that power away moving, compressing, liquefying, and reconverting it—useful only in narrow industrial niches. Sloth — “Always ‘On Time’ by 2040” (Small Modular Reactors)Perma-prototype promises that stay years late and dollars short while wind, solar, and storage deploy at scale now. Pride — “We Will Bottle the Sun” (Fusion Salvationism)Technological hubris as strategy: a captivating physics quest, but not a climate plan for the 2030s. Invest in science, don’t budget on miracles. Lust — “Drop-In Fantasies for Every Engine” (Biofuels-Everywhere)The seductive promise of pouring yesterday’s fuels into tomorrow’s problems; keep them for hard-to-electrify edges, not as a universal fix. Wrath — “Culture War at Sea” (America’s Offshore-Wind Own-Goals)Ideological backlash, litigation, and policy whiplash torch viable projects and local supply chains while the rest of the world builds.Envy — “Green Halo by Checkbox” (ESG Box-Ticking)Chasing ratings and labels instead of real-world decarbonization and cash-flow-relevant risk; better to separate E, S, and G and measure outcomes   

Gerard delivered a keynote on Digitalisation, AI, Supply Chains and Electrification at the EcoVadis Global Summit.Gerard Reid argues that we are living through a new industrial revolution driven by digitalization, AI, and electrification, comparable in scale to the steam and automobile revolutions of the past. He highlights how China is rapidly outpacing Western forecasts in areas like AI, solar power, and electric vehicles, reshaping global competitiveness. Reid stresses that AI will transform industries—from healthcare to transport to energy—while massively increasing the world’s demand for electricity, which will increasingly be met through solar and battery storage. His central message is that businesses and countries must adopt a growth mindset, embrace AI as an enabler, and adapt quickly—or risk irrelevance in the face of accelerating global change.EcoVadis is a globally recognized platform that provides sustainability ratings and assessments for companies, focusing on their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. It evaluates businesses across four key themes: Environment, Labor and Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. These assessments help companies manage ESG risks, ensure compliance, and improve sustainability practices across their operations and supply chains.

This is a re-release of the legendary interview by Michael Barnard of Pr Bent Flyvbjerg on our sister show ”Redefining Energy Tech” Professor Bent Flyvbjerg, an expert on megaprojects and author of How Big Things Get Done, shares insights from a database of over 16,000 projects, revealing that 99.5% fail to meet expectations in budget, timeline, or benefits.He stresses the value of learning from successful projects, especially in renewable energy, where solar, wind, and transmission projects outperform nuclear power, which suffers from regulatory hurdles and skill shortages.Flyvbjerg introduces key concepts like modularity, repeatability, and the “window of doom”—the critical early phase when delays can derail projects. He contrasts fast, modular successes like the Tesla Gigafactory with slow, complex projects like nuclear plants and the Olympics.The episode also compares pumped hydro and battery storage, highlighting the role of risk management, stakeholder alignment, and using data-based heuristics to guide project decisions. Listeners are encouraged to understand base rates, study variance charts (especially Chapter 9 of Flyvbjerg's book), and develop their own heuristics for better megaproject outcomes.

This Spring, Laurent Segalen was invited by Solar Power Europe to moderate a panel, during the Solar Power Summit, around the theme ”Winning the Flex challenges”.The Speakers were:Andrea Wechsler, Member of the European Parliament, EPP, GermanyPaula Rey Garcia, Acting HoU Renewables & Energy System Integration, DG ENER, European CommissionNick Bitsios, Head of Brussels Office, MetlenJuan Rivier Abbad, Head of Global Renewables Regulation, IberdrolaVlasios Souflis, COO EMEA, Lightsource BPJose Manuel Carvalho, Head of Renewable Energy JV & Partnerships, Arcelor MittalThere is a European Policy being developed called the Green Industrial Deal. What is it? Does it work? Does it answer the current issues faced by Solar developers and Energy Consumers?The panel confront the views of various actors, from policy makers to the private sector. A very lively debate with unexpected outcomes.  We thank Walburga Hemetsberger and the whole team of Solar Power Europe for organising that great event

This is Summer time, so we publish some contents that we have created on other channelsA few weeks ago, Gerard came on the ”Clean Titans”The YouTube channel “Clean Titans” focused on clean energy, is hosted by Sam Evans, known as The Clean Energy Guy. His content dives into clean energy topics with enthusiasm, aiming to educate and inspire viewers about sustainable solutions.Gerard talks about “Energy Disruptions” and you can watch him here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5LGTcT-EOw

On July 7th, Gerard and Laurent were invited to appear on the U.S. podcast Open Circuit, alongside Jigar Shah, Katherine Hamilton, and Stephen Lacey. It was an emotional reunion—Jigar and Katherine were part of the original Energy Gang, the very show that inspired us to create our own.We had a rich, two-part conversation. The first part revisited the Spanish blackouts, a topic we had already explored in Episode 185. The second part delved into Europe’s energy security and the evolving dynamic between “Petrostates” and “Electrostates”—the main focus of this episode.Twenty years ago, Europe and the U.S. shared a broadly aligned energy landscape. But the rise of American energy dominance has since driven a wedge between the two, contributing to today’s political fractures across the Atlantic.Together, the five of us explored the implications of this growing misalignment—and where we might go from here. It was a passionate and thought-provoking discussion.

Texas is an oddity in the western electricity world: fastest growing load, ultra-low prices, crazy development of renewables. Texas consumes now more power than France, despite having only half the population. Prices are a factor 4 lower compared to 20 years ago. And 90% of additional load has been provided by Wind and Solar, despite the permanent attacks from the fossil fuel lobby.To make sense of the current situation in Texas, and also talk about the future, with unbelievable projections, full of AI and Datacentres, we have the pleasure of welcoming Arushi Sharma Frank.Arushi Sharma Frank is an energy policy expert with deep expertise in distributed energy resources (DERs) and virtual power plants (VPPs). She pioneered ERCOT frameworks for grid-integrated VPPs and the integration of batteries on the Grid, while at Tesla where she worked between 2020 and 2024. Arushi was a key architect of the Texas Public Utility Commission’s Aggregated DER pilot, enhancing grid resilience post-Winter Storm Uri.  The Lone Star State is at the crossroads: will the additional load arrive? Are the renewables in danger? Can fossil fuels make a come-back, or are we seeing this wrongly, as the new model suggest that it is all about flexibility.Finally, the best source for information on renewable energy in Texas is Doug Lewin: www.douglewin.com

Laurent had the pleasure and privilege of sitting down with Markus Rauramo, CEO of Fortum, during the Eurelectric “Power Play” conference in Brussels this June.  Fortum, the Finnish energy company also active in Sweden and Poland, finds itself right on the front line when it comes to tensions with Russia—not exactly your average utility boardroom drama.   The conversation kicks off with Markus’s recent election as President of Eurelectric, taking over from none other than Leo “the Great” Birnbaum, CEO of E.ON.We talk about the challenges Markus has faced so far, including how Fortum managed to steer through the stormy waters of the Ukraine war, and what’s ahead for the industry. Spoiler: it’s not all doom and gloom—there’s strategy, resilience, and some surprisingly good teamwork. Markus rolls out Eurelectric’s Manifesto centred on customers, security of supply and digitisation (AI).  Markus introduces his vice-presidential duo: Georgios Stassis (CEO of PPC) and Catherine MacGregor (CEO of Engie). According to him, it’s a well-balanced trio—think energy world’s version of the Avengers, but with spreadsheets and grid stability. He also gives kudos to Kristian Ruby, Secretary General of Eurelectric, and the Brussels team for their stellar behind-the-scenes work.The chat then shifts to the Baltics, one of the rare places in Europe where electricity demand is actually growing. Fortum’s been ahead of the game there too: Markus reveals they now have over 1.3 GW of capacity lined up and ready to power new datacenters.Of course, we couldn’t ignore the constant cyber-attacks and sabotage attempts coming from Russia. Markus shares how Fortum has learned to deal with them—let’s just say they don’t flinch easily anymore.  And finally, a public mea culpa: Laurent repeatedly referred to Finland as part of Scandinavia. A common slip-up. For the record: Finland is next to Scandinavia, but it’s not in it. The Finns are Nordic, not Scandinavian—but much like their neighbours to the west, they handled the mix-up with trademark cool. No sauna ban issued.  We thank Kristian Ruby and all the Eurelectric team for organising this recording and putting together such a great summit.

What Really Happened During the Iberian Blackout This Spring? And How Should We Make Sense of the Conflicting Reports?  To shed light on the events, Gerard and Laurent are joined by global energy expert Steve Berberich, who served as President and CEO of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) from 2011 to 2020. Steve led CAISO through the August 2020 blackout in California and now serves as President and CEO of Onward Energy.  We begin by placing the Iberian blackout in a broader context—comparing and contrasting it with major grid failures from recent years: South Australia 2016, California 2020, Texas Uri 2021, Ireland 2024, Louisiana 2025 and of course Iberia 2025.  We examine both the long-term systemic weaknesses and short-term triggering events behind each case—identifying patterns, divergences, and the reforms that followed in their aftermath. Then we turn our full attention to Spain.   Unlike the other blackouts, the Iberian event did not stem from extreme weather. Instead, Steve—along with Gerard and Laurent—dives deep into the underlying structural vulnerabilities of the Spanish grid.  From regulatory gaps and design flaws to operational mistakes, we scrutinize the entire system and arrive at a set of clear, evidence-based conclusions.  Link to Gerard’s substack https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/spains-grid-blame-blackouts-bureaucracy-gerard-reid-tiqre/  Link to the Energy Institute Report https://www.energyinst.org/statistical-review