Redefining Energy

Laurent and Gerard sit down with Jo-Jo Hubbard, CEO of Electron, to explore why the centre of gravity in the energy transition is shifting decisively toward the distribution grid. Jo-Jo explains why the “last mile” is becoming the true engine of system flexibility, how demand at the edge must become a core resource, and why DSOs aren’t confused about flexibility at all — they simply respond to the incentives regulators design. Flexibility, she argues, isn’t replacing grid reinforcement but making it smarter, helping utilities target and sequence investments far more efficiently at a time when distribution upgrade costs are rising quickly.We discuss how to escape the sector’s obsession with endless pilots, and why real scale only arrives when year-round, rules-based products give suppliers and aggregators the confidence to automate and invest. The conversation then turns to the economics of location — from REMA to zonal pricing — and why congestion at the distribution level is where flexibility competes most effectively with copper. Jo-Jo also lays out what it takes to get millions of households engaged without overwhelming them, making the experience effortless, automated and consistent across retailers.She breaks down the hardest parts of the DER orchestration stack, noting that the real challenge isn’t cloud infrastructure but standardising how device capabilities and network constraints are described across a patchwork of utilities. Looking ahead to 2030, Jo-Jo argues that no single asset class “wins”: value depends on time, place and service, with EVs likely providing tens of gigawatts of potential flexibility but orchestration remaining the true hero.We cover the future of interoperability and open data — not via global standards, but through adapters and translation layers similar to those that shaped the internet — and examine the cybersecurity demands of cloud-based orchestration as it becomes critical infrastructure. Jo-Jo also gives a global view of progress, from Australia’s rapid adoption to the US’s accelerating regulatory push and Europe’s mix of strong TSO-level progress but uneven local action. She closes with reflections on whether the centralised grid is dying, who should ultimately control DERs, whether blockchain still has a role, and what a nightmare scenario looks like in a DER-dominated world.A fast, clear, and deeply insightful conversation on the rise of flexibility, the reinvention of the distribution grid, and the technologies and rules needed to orchestrate millions of devices.

Happy New Year energy nerdsAs tradition demands (and lawyers insist), the first episode of the year is the annual ritual where Gerard, Laurent, and Michael boldly predict the future of the energy transition… and then publicly roast themselves for last year’s bad calls.Before unleashing our 2026 Predictions, we do a mandatory rewind to the crystal-ball disasters of 2025: The 2025 prophecy graveyard:US oil production down in 2025 (MB — bold, brave… wrong)Oil at $40/bbl in 2025 (GR — oof)Geopolitics + broken supply chains + energy chaos = a better, more innovative world (LS — still hoping)A bloodbath for hydrogen in transportation (MB — disturbingly accurate)Record installs: Solar 700GW, EVs 20m, Batteries 200GWh (spot on)The death of all things labelled ESG, Climate, and Carbon (LS — prematurely optimistic)Scorecard: Gerard absolutely nailed Silver: from $30/oz to $60/oz in 18 months. BP technically survived 2025… but welcomed a new CEO, so partial credit at best.Michael wins overall, which he will remind us of repeatedly. After heroic levels of co-host sabotage, Laurent loses again, as is now canon.Our 2026 Predictions:🔥 China battery systems at $40/kWh, full-system LFP (MB)🔥 Half of all announced datacenters will never be built — welcome to the credit + grid crisis (LS)🔥 Wind and solar installs DOWN in 2026 vs 2025 (GR — spicy)🔥 20GW of solar in Africa in 2026 (MB)🔥 The GhG Protocol revision fight gets ugly, personal, and possibly litigious (LS)🔥 LNG glut creates stranded assets everywhere: flat demand, too much supply, tears on spreadsheets (GR)And yes, plenty more hot takes, bruised egos, and inconvenient truths to kick off the year the right way.🎙️ Welcome to 2026. Let’s redefine energy.  

For our final episode of the year, Laurent jumped onto the Wolfe Power podcast, where he and host Alex Wolfe took a no-nonsense tour through the big energy moments that shaped 2025.  Deals of the Year: The spectacular offshore wind meltdown in the US — Orsted’s year of pain — contrasted with the blazing global boom in battery deployment all over the world, up a staggering 50% year-on-year.The AI & Datacenter Surge: An extraordinary rise… but how much of it is grounded in facts, and how much is built on faith?Scandals & Disgraces: From the SMR pump-and-dump circus to Venture Global’s LNG “ghosts ships,” and of course the Tony Blair report debacle — 2025 delivered drama.Innovations That Actually Mattered: V2G is born thanks to Octopus and BYD and ever larger LFP form factors are reshaping storage — real progress amid the noise.Quotes of the Year: A remarkable harvest of sharp insights capturing the zeitgeist… and, inevitably, a mountain of nonsense worth calling out.To all our listeners: Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and thank you for riding through 2025 with us.We’ll be back in early January with our Predictions episode — always a very popular one.

Will artificial intelligence reshape the power grid, or will the inertia and complexity of today’s infrastructure slow progress—or even redefine how large language models, chips, and datacenters are designed and located?  To meet the exponential rise in energy demand, parts of the industry have taken shortcuts—rapidly adding behind-the-meter capacity through open-cycle gas turbines - OCGT (such as the Titan 350 from Caterpillar) with little regard for environmental regulations. The mantra seems to be speed at any cost.  Is the AI boom we are witnessing justified—or sustainable? From a technological standpoint, certainly yes: AI capability is roughly doubling every seven months. But from a financial perspective, it is harder to defend—given the sky-high valuations, credit fuelled growth and mounting losses at many of the sector’s biggest players.  The bigger question is what all this means for the energy system itself. How will AI be powered? What will it do to the cost of energy and the shape of our infrastructure? Will it accelerate—or hinder—the energy transition?  Hope is powerful—but it can also be blind. Between AI’s explosive growth and the traditional energy system’s entrenched realities, who will bear the cost?  These are the questions Laurent and Gerard pose to Andrew Perry, Director of the Energy Transition and Environment business unit at Faculty.ai, where he leads AI-driven innovation in the energy sector.   We have a heated debate, trying to honestly lay out the dilemmas in front of the industry. More insights in this excellent research by the FThttps://ig.ft.com/ai-power/Today’s show is supported by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt. The BMW Foundation unites leaders from diverse sectors to develop solutions that foster an innovative economy and a future-proof society. A key focus is "Energy Transition & Climate Change," where the Foundation drives "International collaboration to accelerate the energy transition." With rising energy demands from AI and data centers, new partnerships, effective collaboration, and the exchange of science-based solutions and strategies are essential. That’s why the BMW Foundation supports this podcast and brings these discussions to global stages by hosting the Energy Security Hub at the Munich Security Conference 2026, streaming live February 12–14. Learn more at www.bmw-foundation.org 

Gerard is on stage with Adele Zhao - Trina Solar and Thomas Raffeiner- The Mobility House at the Smarter E Conference.In a conversation hosted by Jonathan Gifford, they discuss about the future for the intersection of e-mobility and renewable energy.  The conversation has been released as an Episode of “Powering Through” entitled The Resilience of Renewables. Participants take a closer look at the power of the e-mobility revolution, and what is needed to continue to push it forward. The uptake of e-mobility in Europe and China is discussed, along with the implications for energy storage and industry.Ultimately, the promise of a vast, mobile fleet of batteries is presented – offering a hopeful vision for emissions-free mobility and energy provision.  Main topics:What is the status of e-mobility adoption and implications for car makersHow EVs can interact with the grid and the promise for energy securityWhat Global EV-Battery Cooperation Might Look LikeYou can watch it on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=M2qM58Vz9Rc