Why electricity is the answer to energy security

Electricity isn’t exactly new, but all of a sudden, electrotech seems to be winning over the masses. What can be done to help people electrify even faster? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi is joined by Jan Rosenow, Professor of Energy and Climate Policy at Oxford University. Jan champions electrification in almost all situations – because the numbers and the analyses make the case for him.  Explore further: Find all of Bloomberg’s COP coverage: https://www.bloomberg.com/green Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPpBJc4Y22Q Arthur Downing on Zero: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2026-09-23/zero-how-to-build-an-electrostate-podcast Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi, Mohsis Andam, Meaghan Olsen, and Alyssa McDonald. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world has seen two historic elections in the past few weeks. First in Brazil, where President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva came from behind to win a fourth term. Then in the US, where a “blue tsunami” led to the Democratic party winning both the House and Senate. So what does this all mean for climate and energy policy and for negotiations at COP31? Bloomberg’s Jennifer A Dlouhy and Fabiano Maissonave join Akshat Rathi on a special episode of Zero recorded on the sidelines of this year's climate talks in Antalya, Turkey. Explore further: Find all of Bloomberg’s COP coverage: https://www.bloomberg.com/green 550-Mile Amazon Highway Shows Climate Stakes of Brazil’s Election Global Climate Talks Open With Big Questions and Shrinking Goals Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi and Alyssa McDonald. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The COP31 climate conference begins in Turkey next week. Can countries make headway in the current geopolitical landscape? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi is joined by Chris Bowen, Australia's minister for climate change and energy and the president of negotiations at COP31, to ask what breakthroughs he hopes to see at the climate conference, why electrification is so high on the agenda and whether progress can be made in the face of a climate-hostile US.  Explore further: Find all of Bloomberg’s COP coverage: https://www.bloomberg.com/green Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fBdbMY3rBZU Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to David Stringer, Lili Pike, Azman Usmani, Laura Millan, John Ainger, Jen Dlouhy, James Mayger, Sommer Saadi, Meaghan Olsen, and Alyssa McDonald. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe has been in a state of energy crisis ever since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Prices are high, industry is struggling and the world feels increasingly hostile. So what's the way out? Kristian Ruby is the secretary general of Eurelectric, the trade association of the European electricity industry, and he joins Akshat Rathi on Zero to explain why he sees electrification as the solution Europe needs.  Explore further: The Eurelectric website Hackers Hit French Supermarkets in Attack Disabling Fridges — Bloomberg News Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi and Alyssa McDonald. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The UK was once a pioneer of rail technology. Now, it has one of the worst electrification rates in the world and relies heavily on diesel for long-distance trains. Battery-electric trains are a solution to change the game. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi speaks with James O’Sullivan, product director at Alstom, one of the world's biggest train companies, about a £1 billion ($1.3 billion) contract for battery-electric trains and how they can decarbonize rail travel.  Explore further: Alstom and TransPennine Express sign €1.2 billion contracts for Britain’s first mainline battery-electric trains -- press release Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi and Alyssa McDonald. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zero is on a break this week, so we’re bringing you an episode from Bloomberg's Odd Lots podcast. Hosts Tracy Alloway and Joe Weisenthal speak with Justin Mankin, professor of geography at Dartmouth College and director of the Climate Modelling and Impacts Group, about the enormous impacts El Niño could have on the global economy. This episode was originally recorded in August, but with El Niño already roiling industries and continuing to strengthen, it feels as relevant as ever. If you'd like to read the latest news on El Niño, check out this article from Bloomberg Green’s Eric Roston. Subscribe to the Odd Lots Newsletter: bloomberg.com/subscriptions/oddlotsJoin the conversation: discord.gg/oddlotsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zero is on a break this week, so we’re bringing you an episode from the Bloomberg Australia podcast. A shipyard in Tasmania has delivered the world’s largest electric ship, a 130-metre ferry powered by more than 250 tons of batteries. Host Rebecca Jones talks to David Stringer, Asia Managing Editor for Bloomberg Green and ESG, who toured the vessel and met veteran shipbuilder Robert Clifford. They explore what Tasmania’s maritime innovation could mean for an industry under pressure to cut emissions. Vote for Zero in the Signal Podcast Awards: We’re excited to announce that Zero has been selected as a finalist for the Signal Podcast Awards in the Sustainability & Environment category. Now we need your vote to help us win. Vote for Zero at https://vote.signalaward.com/PublicVoting#/2026/shows/genre/sustainability-environment. Thank you.      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China is a hotbed of innovation, filling nearly half of the world’s new patents every year. Much of that work is in the world of clean tech and a whole ecosystem is growing to help make these breakthroughs commercial. This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi is joined by Tonny Xie, chairman of Bluetech Clean Air Alliance, a China-based nonprofit organization that’s helping to grow the next era of climate startups.  Read more:  Bluetech Clean Air Alliance website Zero: Inside China’s $7 Trillion Green Finance Market  Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Lili Pike, Sommer Saadi and Alyssa McDonald. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Miatta Fahnbulleh, the UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, discusses the country's energy transition, the push for affordable and secure power and the UK’s role in the global climate action with Bloomberg's Aaron Rutkoff at Bloomberg Green New York 2026. Watch the video of this conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdgTzMIgS9gSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to make electricity cheap is a question that’s bedeviling policy makers around the world, particularly in the US and Europe. Some countries, however, have figured it out, including Iceland, Norway and China. So how do we get to that point? And what is the role of government versus the role of technology? This week on Zero, Akshat Rathi is joined by Arthur Downing, author of Power and the People, to discuss how to build an electrostate. Explore further: Read Arthur’s Substack: https://energynetworks.substack.com/ Find a copy of Arthur’s book: https://amzn.eu/d/0dSrRHty  Zero is a production of Bloomberg Green. Our producer is Oscar Boyd. Special thanks to Sommer Saadi and Alyssa McDonald. Thoughts or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]. For more coverage of climate change and solutions, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/green.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.