Transmission

Germany sits at the centre of Europe's energy transition: over 800 distribution networks, deep intraday markets, and a flexibility gap roughly 40 times its battery fleet. But the real question isn't whether the market is big - it's whether it saturates as battery capacity grows, or scales for years yet.Philipp Man is co-founder and CEO of Terralayr. He joins Ed Porter to unpack the operational reality of building Germany battery storage at scale, the regulatory tension around grid fees, and the contrarian view that Germany's flexibility market is structurally larger than most forecasts suggest.They cover:- Why operating Germany battery storage is harder than capital alone can solve.- Why Germany's TSOs are positive on BESS, why DSOs are nervous and what regulators need to fix.- What the Bundesnetzagentur grid-fee review means for the BESS exemption running to August 2029.- How splitting merchant capacity across multiple optimisers outperforms single-optimiser tolls.- Why flexibility revenues are convex, dominated by tail events, and structurally larger than forecasts predict.Want to track Germany's battery storage pipeline, grid-fee changes, or flexibility market data? Ko, Modo Energy's AI analyst, is built for exactly these questions. Free sign up: https://modoenergy.com/sign-up?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast_apps&utm_campaign=philipp_man&utm_content=ko_signupTranscript available here: ⏱ CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction01:01 What everyone gets wrong about Germany battery storage04:50 Inside Terralayr's 8 GW pipeline07:00 German grid fees and the 2029 BESS exemption11:00 Why DSOs are nervous about battery storage14:30 Nodal pricing, FCAs and the one-price-zone problem18:30 How layer's virtual battery auction works24:30 Will Germany's BESS market saturate35:30 Markets outside Germany — UK, Spain, Nordics37:00 Advice for new entrants and the coming consolidation40:30 Contrarian view: flexibility revenues are convex`You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday. Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter - Director EMEA & APAC at Modo Energy.Music licensed via Artlist.

Developing battery storage in emerging markets isn't a technology problem - it's a regulatory, offtake, and capital problem. The frameworks, offtake structures, and capital mandates weren't built for storage and that gap is exactly where the risk sits.Hassen Bali, co-founder and director at Ion Ventures, joins Ed Porter to discuss what it actually takes to develop battery storage projects across markets at very different stages of maturity, from the UK to Southeast Asia.They cover:- Why battery storage development demands a different approach to solar or wind and why you have to decide your commercial endpoint before you break ground, not after.- How project conversion rates in the UK BESS market have dropped from 30–40% in the early days to roughly 10–15% today, and how that affects pipeline management and investor communications.- Why early-stage BESS markets like Malaysia and the Philippines are still reliant on bilateral offtake and what that means for project bankability.- Why FCA-regulated investors face hard legal barriers to project finance in sub-investment-grade countries and what that means for who can actually back early-stage BESS projects.- Hassen's contrarian view: that reform of merit order and legacy thermal contracts is the most direct lever for accelerating energy transition globally even if it means unwinding agreements that investors consider bulletproof.Want to model BESS revenue across different market structures? Ko, Modo Energy's AI analyst, is built for exactly these questions. Want to model BESS revenue across different market structures? Ko, Modo Energy's AI analyst, is built for exactly these questions. Free sign up here.Transcript available here: Chapters:0:00 Introduction0:53 What People Get Wrong About Developing Battery Storage Projects2:41 BESS Project Development Pipeline: How to Manage Investors and Conversion Rates5:58 Why Ion Ventures Expanded Into Southeast Asia7:34 BESS Market Readiness in Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei8:32 Replacing Coal and Diesel: What Southeast Asian Grids Look Like Today11:35 BESS Project Success Rates in Emerging Markets vs the UK12:39 Why Bilateral Offtake Models Dominate Early-Stage BESS Markets15:17 Why Long-Term Contracts Can Actually Help Battery Storage Bankability16:05 Why Country Risk and OECD Classification Block Capital From Emerging BESS Markets21:02 Can Emerging Markets Leapfrog to Grid 2.0? The Telco Analogy Explained22:59 How to Build a Battery Storage Roadmap for a Nascent Grid: Lessons from Bangladesh30:06 How to Avoid Grid Congestion When Scaling Renewables in Emerging Markets32:17 Contrarian View: Should Merit Order Reform Unwind Legacy Thermal Contracts?You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday. Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter - Director EMEA & APAC at Modo Energy.

Spain has approximately 42GW of utility-scale solar and 50GW when rooftop is included, yet less than 100MW of grid-connected battery storage. In February, solar capture rates hit €1.30 per megawatt hour, a fraction of the €30–35/MWh needed for a solar project to break even. So why hasn't battery storage followed the solar boom and could it be the key to rescuing solar revenues?Pablo Martinez Serrano, Iberia Industry Lead at Modo Energy, joins Ed Porter to break down why Spain's energy market defies easy assumptions, and what the Iberian blackout changed.They cover:- Why Spain's hydro fleet masked the need for batteries for years, and why that's no longer enough as solar saturation bites.- Why solar developers are earning less and less for every unit of power they generate and what that means for the projects still in the pipeline.- The co-location thesis: why existing solar asset owners are turning to BESS to fix their generation profile and unlock ancillary service revenue- What actually caused the Iberian blackout: voltage instability, cascading disconnections, and why the TSO had already flagged the risk- Spain's new voltage control market: how it works, why priority of dispatch may be more valuable than the reactive service payment itselfWant to model battery revenue stacks in Spain or track Iberian power market dynamics? Ko, Modo Energy's AI analyst, is built for exactly these questions. Free sign up: https://help.modo.energy/en/articles/13335470-ko-your-ai-analyst?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast_apps&utm_id=pablo_martinez⏱ CHAPTERS00:00:00 Introduction00:00:50 What everyone gets wrong about Spain00:01:54 Spain's generation mix: solar, wind, hydro, gas and nuclear00:04:43 Seasonal demand dynamics and why spring is the problem00:06:03 Solar capture price collapse: €42 to below €30/MWh00:08:19 PPA contracts, negative prices and the solar momentum problem00:11:52 The co-location pivot: why developers are turning to storage00:13:58 Why Spain has less than 100MW of batteries vs GB's 6GW00:15:33 Where the money is coming from: two types of investor00:17:11 The Iberian blackout: what went wrong and why00:20:04 How Spain is rebuilding grid stability after the blackout00:21:04 Spain's new voltage control market and what it pays00:24:43 Grid forming inverters and the future of ancillary services00:26:38 Contrarian take: Spain hasn't actually decoupled from gas00:29:15 The three phases of displacing thermal generators00:30:39 Closing remarksYou can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday. Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter - Director EMEA & APAC at Modo Energy.

Smart EV charging isn't just about saving money on your electricity bill, it's quietly becoming one of the most scalable sources of grid flexibility in Great Britain. Ohme has run the numbers: incentivising 22,000 customers to plug in more often drove a 32–37% increase in plug-in frequency, unlocking dispatchable flexibility across 60 National Grid events.In this episode, Ed is joined by Joshua Willetts and Dan Norton from Ohme. Josh is part of Ohme's customer operations team and starts the conversation with a live demo of the Ohme Home Pro, and then Dan Ohme's Commercial Director takes us through a deep dive of the economics, regulation, and long-term potential of smart home charging.They cover:- How the Ohme Home Pro works, tethered setup, app pairing, tariff integration, and smart scheduling on Octopus Go and equivalent time-of-use tariffs.- Why plugging in little and often (rather than running to empty and topping up) is the behavioural shift that unlocks real-world EV flexibility.- The CrowdFlex trial results: how a 1–3 GBP/week incentive delivered a 32–37% rise in plug-in frequency and fed directly into National Grid dispatch events- What smart charging regulation, including the Energy Smart Appliance (ESA) framework and load control licensing means for charger manufacturers and aggregators- How V2G and vehicle-to-home could evolve once older EV fleets start cycling into second-hand markets, and what cultural shifts are needed firstWant to model EV flexibility potential in your market? Ko, Modo Energy's AI analyst, is built for exactly these questions. Free sign up: [KO UTM LINK]Transcript available here: [TRANSCRIPT LINK]────────────────────────────────────────────────────────⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Intro — Ed Porter, Welcome to Transmission1:04 Meet Joshua & the Ohme Home Pro1:52 App Setup, QR Code Pairing & Smart Scheduling4:44 Why a Box? What's Inside an EV Smart Charger5:22 Live Demo: Charging a Light Bulb via the Ohme App7:53 Charge Speed, Battery Times & Little-and-Often Strategy11:37 Introducing Dan: EV Adoption Stats & the UK Home Charge Market13:33 Barriers to Home EV Charging Installation18:44 Home Charging vs. Public Charging: The Economics20:06 CrowdFlex Explained: Smart Charging as Grid Flexibility23:11 CrowdFlex Results.26:32 Smart Charging Regulation: ESA, Load Control & Revenue Certainty28:43 How Big Could EV Flexibility Get? GB Grid Scale30:34 Vehicle to Grid (V2G) & Vehicle to Home: What's Coming34:40 What Would You Change? Flexibility Contracts as Steel in the Ground────────────────────────────────────────────────────────You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday. Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter — Director EMEA & APAC at Modo Energy.

Battery storage looks simple - a steel box that charges when prices are low and discharges when they're high. But financing a BESS project in Europe means underwriting a trading position: convex revenues, volatile returns, and a growing menu of contractual choices that each shift the risk profile in a different direction.Lisa McDermott, Managing Director and Head of Energy Transition Project Financing at ABN AMRO, has been structuring BESS deals across Europe since 2020. In this episode, she opens up the credit committee. What gets a project over the line, and what quietly stops it.Covered:- Why battery storage finance is fundamentally different from solar or wind and why contracting it away doesn't change the underlying risk when the contract ends.- From physical tolls to day-ahead swaps, Lisa breaks down which offtake structures are gaining traction in Europe and why the day-ahead swap is the hardest to bank.- Too much merchant exposure, insufficient sponsor equity, weak technical track record and why pushing too many levers at once is the fastest way to stop a deal.- How battery warranties have evolved from 8 to 20 years and why coverage beyond the debt tenor is a bankability requirement, not a nice-to-have.- Germany's grid fee reform has created financing uncertainty at COD, while the Netherlands' congestion model is, counter-intuitively, better for bankability.Want to model battery revenue stacks or stress-test tolling structures for a specific market? Ko, Modo Energy's AI analyst, is built for exactly these questions. Free sign up: https://help.modo.energy/en/articles/13335470-ko-your-ai-analyst?utm_source=podcast_apps&utm_medium=podcast&utm_id=lisa_mcdermottTranscript available here: ────────────────────────────⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction - Is financing battery storage the same as financing solar?2:32 Why a battery is financing a trader, not an infrastructure asset5:14 Financing across technology types - TRL 8 vs TRL 910:43 What stops a BESS deal in credit committee15:53 Comfort zone: from fully merchant to fully contracted18:43 The growing offtake menu, physical tolls, virtual tolls, and floors24:43 Day-ahead swaps explained and why they introduce basis risk31:59 Gearing: the sliding scale from 30% merchant to 85% fully tolled34:37 European market comparison: Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany40:23 Final question ────────────────────────────You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday. Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter — Director EMEA & APAC at Modo Energy.

The battery storage gold rush is over in most major markets. What's replaced it is more complex, more competitive, and if you're not careful with your contracts - potentially more exposed than the merchant era ever was. It is often thought that offtake deals like tolls de-risk a battery project, but that might be one of the biggest misconceptions in BESS right now.The market is maturing fast, but the players who thrive won't be the ones who got in first -they'll be the ones who understood the complexity earliest.Sam Harden is Global Director at Enfinity Global, joins Ed to challenge conventional thinking on BESS contracts, market maturity, and what it actually takes to build and operate storage assets at scale.They cover:- Why BESS tolls redistribute risk rather than remove it and how availability penalties can cost you more than lost merchant revenue.- The MACSE auction in Italy: what 15-year fixed-revenue contracts mean for asset owners, and why the incumbent utility won the majority of the first round.- Whether the battery storage gold rush is truly over and why the market is maturing into an asset class, not saturating.- How Enfinity Global is futureproofing project design for duration augmentation, grid-forming inverters, and services like inertia and voltage control.- Why the biggest bottleneck to Europe's 50GW battery buildout isn't technology or capital - it's qualified people.Want to track BESS revenues, tolling structures, and market dynamics across Europe and beyond? Ko, Modo Energy's AI analyst, is built for exactly these questions. Free sign up: https://modoenergy.com/sign-up?utm_source=podcast_apps&utm_medium=podcast&utm_id=sam_hardenTranscript available here: ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction0:50 Are tolls a silver bullet for BESS risk management?5:15 Italy's MACSE auction explained6:05 Is the battery gold rush over?10:30 From scarcity trade to operational excellence13:00 Battery storage as a maturing asset class — good or bad?16:40 How to develop BESS sites for the future19:38 Battery augmentation and energy density gains21:28 Will the battery sector consolidate?25:13 How to position for above-infrastructure returns26:25 Operational risk: what spreadsheets can't capture28:00 Warranties vs. real-world asset management30:13 Supply chain and talent: the hidden bottleneck33:12 One change to accelerate European battery rollout34:49 Wrap-up────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday. Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter - Director EMEA & APAC at Modo Energy.

Most BESS revenue forecasts aren't wrong, they're just being used for the wrong thing. The gap between a valuation-grade forecast and what a project actually earns in a live market is where BESS developers win or lose. The developers who survive that gap are the ones who design for uncertainty from the start - not after the fact.Recorded live at the Investing in Battery Energy Storage conference, Paul Mason, Chief Investment Officer of Harmony Energy, joins Ed Porter for a return appearance on Transmission.They cover:- Why treating a revenue forecast as a fixed cash flow is the most common mistake in BESS development.- How the listed fund model enabled GB BESS to scale.- Why splitting BESS revenues into ancillary, wholesale, and balancing mechanism streams is now a misleading framework.- How Harmony selects new markets in France and Germany: renewable penetration, grid-first site selection, and why any business case dependent on high ancillary revenues is a losing strategy.- What good optimizer relationships actually look like.Got follow-up questions? Ask Ko, Modo Energy's AI analyst : https://modoenergy.com/sign-up?utm_source=podcast_apps&utm_medium=podcast&utm_id=paul_masonWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/a2--s956k-c⏱ CHAPTERS────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────0:00 Introduction1:16 What do BESS developers get wrong when building an IPP?3:25 Why full EPC contracts — and why they still hired project managers5:28 Duration strategy: the case for 2-hour batteries early7:00 The full BESS lifecycle — develop, build, operate, sell8:25 How Harmony raised capital through listed funds (and why it worked then)10:45 Why listed fund capital flowed out and what came next13:20 The Foresight asset sale: private vs. public valuation15:08 New markets: what Harmony looks for in France, Germany and beyond18:05 Market timing — should you enter early or wait for wholesale dynamics?20:12 Grid connection across Europe: where it works and where it doesn't22:33 Operating a live fleet: what drives performance once assets are running24:10 How to work with optimizers without burning the relationship26:30 BM trading trials with Tesla — what the data showed28:45 Is GB still exciting for Harmony, or is it old hat?30:20 Audience Q&A: colocation, revenue cannibalization, and market saturation32:35 If you ran European power: one thing to fix────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────Transmission is hosted by Ed Porter, Director EMEA & APAC at Modo Energy. New episodes every week.

Battery storage in Africa is one of the most misunderstood opportunities in global energy. Only 8% of the continent’s hydro power has been tapped. In Malawi, just 14% of the population is connected to the grid. Africa needs to add an estimated 100 GW of capacity in the next decade and the fastest way is with renewables and storage. Michael Cupit develops BESS projects in Malawi and Kenya, and he’s spent years working inside the gap between how these markets look from the outside and how they actually operate on the ground.In this episode of Transmission, Ed Porter sits down with Michael to break down the real risk picture in Sub-Saharan Africa: why mid-to-high-teen IRRs are the reality, how 20-year capacity payment contracts compare to merchant BESS in Europe, and what it actually takes to get a project from bare earth to operational - a journey that took eight years in Malawi.They cover:The two biggest misconceptions about doing business in AfricaHow South Africa, Malawi, and Kenya's grids differ and where batteries fit in eachThe role of DFIs, MIGA guarantees, and multilateral risk wrappers in making projects bankableChina's declining role in African infrastructure and what's replacing itThe O&M challenge: building operational capability from scratch in frontier marketsWhy winning the argument for renewables means making the commercial case - not just the climate oneWant to track battery storage capacity and market trends across Africa and beyond? Ko, Modo Energy's AI analyst, is built for exactly these questions. Free sign up: https://modoenergy.com/sign-up?utm_source=podcast_apps&utm_medium=podcast&utm_id=michael_cupitTranscript available here: ────────────────────────────⏱ CHAPTERS0:00 Introduction1:08 The two biggest misconceptions about Africa4:30 IRRs, risk and contracted vs merchant returns8:00 Why Africa is skipping the fossil fuel grid model9:40 South Africa: load shedding, rooftop solar and grid constraints13:00 Battery use cases: the transmission line problem17:00 Malawi's grid: run-of-river hydro and the diesel spread19:00 Kenya: geothermal, 10 GW buildout and hyperscaler demand22:30 Rare earth mining and the electrification push in Malawi26:30 Financing: DFIs, MIGA, project finance and currency risk31:45 How long does it really take? The 8-year development journey33:10 China's role in African infrastructure - myth vs reality33:45 Engineering talent, local capacity and the O&M challenge36:55 What success looks like in 5 years────────────────────────────You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter - Director EMEA & APAC at Modo Energy.

Biomethane currently supplies just 1% of UK gas demand. Could it reach 30% by 2050? Philipp Lukas, founder and CEO of Future Biogas, makes the case.The UK uses around 700 terawatt hours of gas every year. Even as electrification reduces that to 150–250 TWh by 2050, the gas that remains will be harder than ever to replace. Industrial heat, steel, glass, shipping, aviation.Biomethane, produced from organic waste and agricultural byproducts through anaerobic digestion, could supply 50–60 TWh of that demand. That's roughly 10 times what the UK produces today.In this episode of Transmission, Ed speaks with Philipp Lukas, CEO of Future Biogas. Philipp explains how the technology works, why the gas grid is the biggest battery in the country, and why turning it off would be a mistake. You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter - Director EMEA & APAC at Modo Energy.Battery revenues, nodal spreads, trading strategies, Ko answers your most business-critical questions instantly, powered by Modo's IOSCO-aligned benchmark data. Try Ko for free now→ https://modoenergy.com/sign-up?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_id=stuart_pomeroyWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y1pWt2-cKi4Chapters0:00 Introduction — the gas grid as a clean energy asset1:20 What everyone gets wrong about biogas2:00 How anaerobic digestion works (the basics)8:00 Ranking the top uses of biomethane10:00 The price gap: natural gas vs. biomethane today15:00 The future of the UK gas grid — 700 TWh to 200 TWh18:00 How much could biomethane supply by 2050?25:00 Why the gas grid won’t be switched off29:00 Dunkelflaute and the case for backup gas33:00 Feedstocks: sewage, food waste, animal manure, energy crops37:00 Biogas vs. ethanol: land use and the rotation argument40:00 How biogas plants actually work (reliability, engineering)43:00 The subsidy journey and the obligation model47:00 Closing

Eight in ten clean energy projects never make it through development. Not because of bad ideas, but because of how the process is run: sequential, analog, and fragmented across consultants, spreadsheets, and months of waiting.In this episode of Transmission, Alejandro speaks with Stuart Pomeroy from Paces .Stuart breaks down exactly why the traditional development model fails, what a parallel workflow looks like in practice, and how compressing land, environmental, interconnection, and permitting work into a single ecosystem can cut development timelines by more than half.You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Alejandro De Diego - US Market AnalystBattery revenues, nodal spreads, trading strategies, Ko answers your most business-critical questions instantly, powered by Modo's IOSCO-aligned benchmark data. Try Ko for free now→ https://modoenergy.com/sign-upFor more information on Paces, Head to their website → https://www.paces.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacesai/Reach Stuart at [email protected]:00 Introduction: the hidden cost of delay in clean energy3:18 How clients use Paces day-to-day4:29 The data model: land, zoning, and interconnection layers5:25 The old sequential development model7:30 Cutting development time by 50%+9:02 Does Paces replace environmental consultants?11:05 Cost savings and pipeline conversion metrics13:47 Assessing permitting risk and policy uncertainty15:42 The Permitting Predictor tool17:17 Predicting landowner behaviour18:37 Hottest US regions for development activity27:42 Community sentiment and opposition risk31:22 Off-grid development and on-site generation34:10 Cost, complexity, and time: the off-grid advantage36:40 LMP data suite and revenue signals37:40 Getting projects bankable: track record and case studies39:31 What Paces are building next41:23 Contrarian takes: off-grid and permitting44:19 Closing

Tax insurance helps clean energy projects manage the risk of the IRS challenging their tax credits - like the Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Production Tax Credit (PTC), or bonus depreciation. Instead of carrying that uncertainty, developers and investors can transfer it to insurers, adding confidence to project financing.In this episode, Alejandro speaks with James Chenoweth Managing Director at Alliant Insurance Services, about how the market works and who’s using it. They also touch on the key areas of risk today, such as whether projects properly qualify for credits, potential recapture issues, and structuring above the project level, along with ongoing uncertainty around foreign ownership rules (FEOC), which are still awaiting clearer IRS guidance.You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Alejandro De Diego - US Market AnalystModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets. Want all the latest power market news? Sign up for our free Weekly Dispatch newsletter: https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatch00:00:00 Introduction00:03:48 What is tax insurance?00:05:19 Who needs it and why?00:06:18 Is a project insurable?00:07:05 Insurable risk examples00:07:51 Which technologies lead demand?00:08:43 FEOC rules explained00:09:56 How tax insurance is priced00:10:57 Where it sits in the finance stack00:13:49 Who benefits from risk transfer?00:14:01 Impact on project returns00:14:32 The next big insurable wedge00:15:13 Why Texas leads the sector00:15:57 Houston: oil & gas to renewables00:17:14 War stories from the boom years00:18:32 Advice for developers00:19:07 Alliant's large-scale capabilities00:21:00 Contrarian take: tax policy is stabilising

How does a major renewable operator decide what gets built, where, and with whose capital? Lolita Carry, Director of Portfolio Strategy at Engie North America, explains how Engie manages a 20GW BESS, wind, and solar pipeline across ERCOT, PJM, MISO, and CAISO.In this episode Alejandro de Diego speaks with Lolita Carry about how one of the US's largest battery storage operators structures its investment decisions across multiple ISO markets.They take a look at how Engie steers a 20GW development pipeline across ERCOT, PJM, MISO, and CAISO; the capital recycling model behind Engie's 2.7GW asset sale to SES; what the Broad Reach Power acquisition brought to Engie's battery portfolio; how ancillary service saturation and energy price cannibalisation are reshaping BESS investment cases; and why Engie remains bullish on batteries despite tightening revenues.You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Alejandro De Diego - US Market AnalystModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets. Want all the latest power market news? Sign up for our free Weekly Dispatch newsletter: https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchChapters:0:00 Introduction — Engie's 20GW pipeline and the portfolio challenge4:01 Capital allocation and key technologies in focus5:17 Priority ISO markets: ERCOT, PJM, MISO, CAISO6:04 What makes each market unique 9:27 BESS + solar development: from site to FID11:00 Risk assessment and project showstoppers12:32 Network upgrades and interconnection queue dynamics14:49 Raising and lowering the investment bar across markets18:01 Where Engie captures the most value: development vs. construction vs. operations18:59 The capital recycling model — Engie's 2.7GW SES deal explained20:20 How grid-scale batteries operate day to day21:45 BESS revenue decline: ancillary services, cannibalisation, and energy arbitrage22:34 Investment stance23:27 In-house energy management vs. external optimisers24:07 Advantages of scale vs. smaller developers29:10 Career advice for those entering the energy investment sector30:20 The Broad Reach Power acquisition — lessons and integration32:05 Final plug and contrarian view on the energy industry

The money for German battery storage exists. What's scarce is bankability - the clarity that lets a lender actually commit. What are banks really evaluating when they look at BESS projects in Germany and why regulatory uncertainty, grid connection risk, and the structure of offtake agreements can make or break the chances of getting debt across the line.In this conversation, Ed is joined by Florian Hock, Senior Director, Origination Energy Europe at NORD/LB to explore what separates a financeable BESS project from one that stalls.If you're developing, financing, or investing in battery storage in Germany or watching the market, this is the episode to understand what the financing layer actually looks like from the inside.0:00 Introduction0:57 Banks as advisors, not ATMs2:50 Financial & regulatory hurdles7:46 Defining bankability9:01 Regulatory risks to revenues10:25 Tolling contracts & capacity markets16:37 The grid fees debate19:03 Offtake 1.0 to 4.022:49 Germany vs UK valuations25:10 Navigating ancillary saturation27:49 The bankability framework33:33 Beyond capital: NIBC's role36:53 Grid connection delays38:14 Flexible connection agreements39:56 Lessons from the UK43:31 One change for Europe#BatteryStorage #EnergyFinance #GermanEnergyMarket #BESS #EnergyTransition

The AI boom has created an energy problem no one quite planned for. Every new data center needs power now - not in three years when the grid connection finally arrives. Developers are skipping the queue, installing on-site generation at a scale that would have seemed extraordinary five years ago.But speed to power isn't the only pressure. Data center operators are also staring down net zero commitments, sustainability departments that want decarbonisation, and an energy trilemma of cost, carbon, and resilience.In this episode Alejandro is joined by Alex Marshall, Group Business Development and Marketing Director at Clarke Energy. Alex explains why gas engines have become the bridging technology of choice for hyperscale data centers, what a 450 MW peaking station outside London actually looks like, and whether the engineering department and the sustainability team will ever agree.You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Alejandro De Diego - US Market AnalystModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets. Want all the latest power market news? Sign up for our free Weekly Dispatch newsletter: https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchChapters- 0:00 — Introduction- 1:44 — Guest intro: Alex Marshall & Clarke Energy- 3:30 — Data centers and the shift to self-generation- 5:00 — The inflection point: Ireland to the US- 7:00 — Biggest project: 450 MW peaking station, London- 7:45 — Gas engines vs batteries: what fills the dunkelflaute gap- 9:00 — What US data centers actually buy- 10:20 — The net zero pathway for gas engines- 14:00 — Speed to power vs cost savings- 17:00 — Europe vs US: sustainability and energy culture- 18:00 — 45Y production tax credit: what's at stake- 22:10 — Clarke Energy's business model- 22:40 — Project highlights: Ireland, Indiana, Nigeria, Romania- 25:00 — The contrarian view: biogas & organic waste

Australia has built one of the world's most competitive battery storage markets — and it got there faster than almost anywhere else on the planet. What started as an experiment in South Australia in 2017 has grown into a mature, multi-gigawatt industry that is now redefining what grid-scale batteries can do.In this episode of Transmission, host Wendel Hortop sits down with Jérémie Yvon, Head of Energy Management at Neoen Australia, to explore how one of the country's largest renewable energy companies is navigating the rapidly evolving battery landscape across both the National Electricity Market (NEM) and the Western Australian Electricity Market (WEM). They cover the maturation of the Australian battery market, how Neoen structures battery revenue across two very different market designs, the rise of virtual batteries and firm renewable PPAs, long-duration storage investment, and why Jérémie believes battery oversupply is a credible - and under appreciated - risk.You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Wendel Hortop - Head of AustraliaModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets. Want all the latest power market news? Sign up for our free Weekly Dispatch newsletter:https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchChapters0:00 Introduction — the hospital generator analogy1:45 Guest intro: Jérémie Yvon and Neoen Australia4:30 NEM vs WEM: how battery economics differ8:30 Hornsdale: from proof of concept to system services11:30 NEM design — volatility and five-minute trading14:00 WEM design — capacity market mechanics17:00 Revenue compression in ancillary services20:30 How Neoen builds optimisation capabilities in-house23:00 Battery + wind firming: delivering baseload renewables25:30 Virtual battery products explained29:00 Risk management for firm products32:00 Solar cannibalisation and price suppression38:00 Long-duration storage pipeline44:00 Rate of change of frequency (RoCoF) services47:00 Are batteries now the cheapest system service provider?50:00 Contrarian view: what the market is getting wrong51:39 Wrap-upModo Energy | modoenergy.com

The energy grid needs reliable, carbon-free power around the clock and geothermal might be the most underestimated solution on the table. A century of oil and gas expertise is now being repurposed to unlock heat sitting beneath our feet almost anywhere on Earth, and in doing so, it's also unlocking a new form of long-duration energy storage that requires no mountain, no reservoir, and no battery chemistry.In this episode, host Alejandro Diego sits down with Cindy Taff, CEO of Sage Geo Systems. Together they explore how Sage is moving beyond the geological constraints of conventional geothermal, what it takes to engineer a reservoir from scratch, how their underground pressure storage system works like an inverted pumped hydro plant, and why companies like Meta and the US Department of Defense are already signing on.You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Alejandro De Diego - US Market AnalystModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets. Want all the latest power market news? Sign up for our free Weekly Dispatch newsletter:https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatch Chapters:00:00 Next-gen geothermal intro01:49 Cindy Taff background04:51 Geothermal opportunity07:19 Conventional geothermal limits08:39 How geothermal works10:38 Geothermal grid baseload11:44 US heat resource map13:13 Oil and gas drilling tech16:50 Discovering underground storage17:21 Earth Store technology18:07 Storage capacity explained19:35 Fast dispatch no degradation21:42 Pelton turbine explained23:47 Why viable now25:30 Energy storage business model27:12 Target customers28:27 Development obstacles29:52 Permitting process31:36 Meta 150MW deal33:41 5.5 terawatt potential36:17 Grid transformation impact37:49 What drives Cindy39:16 Direct heating use case40:30 Sage 2035 milestones42:20 Energy expansion contrarian view

How a battery gets optimised, from the moment a contract is signed to the millisecond a trade is placed, is still a black box for most people in the industry. Understanding that process is the difference between leaving money on the table and extracting maximum value from every asset.In this episode of Transmission, Ed Porter is joined by Fabrizio Fenu, Head of Business Development and Account Management at EDF Business and Wholesale Market Services. They pull back the curtain on how battery optimisation actually works at scale: how assets are treated fairly across a large portfolio, why merchant, floor and tolling contracts suit different investors, what role AI and algorithms play on a live trading desk, and why co-located solar and battery projects are harder to finance than they look. Chapters00:00 Intro: Optimising 5GW01:18 EDF's Battery Business01:47 5GW Portfolio Scale02:25 From 50kW to Commercial04:44 Inside the Trading Floor06:22 Winning Big Battery Contracts08:01 Debt and Revenue Certainty09:21 Merchant vs Floor vs Toll11:05 Optimiser Market Consolidation13:39 AI in Energy Trading16:10 Energy Careers Advice17:57 Fair Asset Treatment19:25 Day-Ahead and Ancillary Markets22:45 Enduring Auction Capability Explained25:51 Intraday Pricing and Indexing28:37 Perfect Battery Asset Quickfire31:45 Co-location Solar and Battery35:12 Battery Retrofitting Explained36:21 Connection Reform and Scale37:37 Simplify the Energy Industry

The energy grid fails in silence, long before the lights go out. The real problem is that most of the infrastructure keeping the grid alive is inspected too slowly, too infrequently, and with sensors that drift. We pour billions into building new power infrastructure, yet some of our biggest reliability gains might come from simply seeing existing assets more clearly. Quantum sensing promises exactly that, and it is closer to deployment than most people realise.In this conversation, Alex sits down with Emma Wong, Nuclear Principal Lead for Innovation, Quantum Technologies, and International Engagement at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), to explore how quantum sensing technology could transform grid reliability, reduce costly downtime at nuclear plants, and reshape how we think about energy security, from US utilities to communities in sub-Saharan Africa.Chapters00:00 Seeing Problems Early01:53 EPRI's Mission03:34 Into Nuclear Innovation06:27 Quantum Technologies Overview09:15 How Quantum Sensors Work12:33 No-Drift Sensing Advantage15:34 Real World Applications22:21 Cutting Nuclear Downtime25:20 Utility Pilot Programs26:15 Quantum Meets AI32:29 Key Stakeholders for Quantum35:37 Nuclear in a Renewable Grid41:43 Modern Reactor Safety46:43 G20 Nuclear Summit48:43 Energy Access in Africa53:22 Contrarian Energy Take#Nuclear #QuantumTechnology #EnergyTransition #CleanEnergy #FutureOfEnergy

New York legally committed to generating 70% of its electricity from renewables by 2030, and 100% carbon-free power by 2040. Nearly a decade later, the state is way behind schedule.In the first episode of Modo Energy Presents, our new series of video documentaries, we examine why building renewable energy in New York is so difficult - despite strong political support and ambitious targets.We explore:Transmission bottlenecks between upstate and downstate.The NYISO interconnection queue, now holding ~27 GW of projects.Why 90% of proposed projects never reach commercial operations.Interconnection costs that can account for 60% of total project CapEx.Offshore wind policy uncertainty.Capacity market dynamics that favour dispatchable generation.And why battery energy storage economics differ from ERCOT and California.Featuring Peter Berini, Director of Industry at Modo Energy, this episode compares New York’s “cluster study” interconnection model with ERCOT’s faster “connect and manage” approach - and asks whether structural reform is necessary to hit renewable targets.A Modo Energy production.Music licensed via Artlist.Stock footage licensed via Pond5 (via Everly).This documentary is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

The UK has a bold target to triple solar capacity within a single parliament, but the path from ambition to deployment is riddled with grid bottlenecks, workforce shortages, and revenue uncertainty.In this episode, Ed Porter sits down with Matt Black Managing Director of IG renewables and Chair of Solar Energy UK, to unpack the realities of delivering large-scale solar in Great Britain, from the aftermath of the connections queue reform to the future role of co-located batteries, the Warm Homes Plan, and what it actually takes to build a solar career in 2025.Chapters00:00:03 Connection Reform Overview00:07:30 Gate Two Shakeout00:09:00 Solar M&A Activity00:13:30 Strategic Energy Planning00:18:30 Co-Located Solar Storage00:22:00 60GW Delivery Challenge00:24:30 EPC Workforce Gap00:28:30 CFD PPA Merchant Revenue00:33:00 Balcony Solar Growth00:37:47 Warm Homes Plan00:45:00 Future Solar Deployment Shift#SolarEnergy #EnergyTransition #RenewableEnergy #CleanPower #UKEnergy

AI data center power demand is surging, solar prices are collapsing, and power markets like ERCOT are changing fast.Power trading strategies that worked just three years ago are now obsolete as markets transform in real-time.In this episode, Alex sits down with Terry Embury, Vice President of Trading and Market Operations at AES Clean Energy. The conversation explores the shift in electricity markets driven by solar proliferation, the evolving value proposition of battery storage across different markets, strategic lessons from decades of power trading experience, and how Terry's team is positioning themselves at the intersection of renewable energy and the data center boom that's driving unprecedented electricity demand growth.Chapters- 00:00 Clean Energy Timing Problem- 02:03 AES Company Overview- 04:45 Battery Storage California- 06:38 ERCOT Duck Curve- 08:15 Solar Trading Blocks- 09:45 Battery Revenue Streams- 12:21 CAISO vs ERCOT Batteries- 14:25 Market Volatility Dynamics- 15:30 Offtake Agreements Explained- 17:21 Belfield 500MW Battery- 18:45 Biggest Trade Ever- 21:00 Wind Solar Portfolio Management- 22:14 24/7 Clean Energy Matching- 25:11 Renewable Coverage Pricing- 26:07 Nuclear Energy Outlook- 28:21 SMR Timeline Concerns- 30:56 Nuclear Submarine Stories- 34:52 Transmission Constraint Challenges- 38:19 Data Center Generation Gap- 40:05 AI Growth Inflection Point- 42:00 Battery Market Opportunity- 44:39 AI Prompt Engineering Careers- 46:14 Trading Desk Culture Shift- 48:29 Managing Young Traders- 50:10 Head of Trading Daily Routine- 51:08 Worst Trading Day Story- 53:24 AES Future Announcements- 54:55 Contrarian Energy Market Views#AI #DataCenters #Solar #ERCOT #Batteries #CleanEnergy #Nuclear

The UK's electricity grid connection queue ballooned to over a Terawatt of projects - far more than the country will ever need, creating delays for renewable energy developers trying to bring solar, wind, and battery storage online. Connections reform was designed to clear this gridlock, but delays in the process are now pushing back critical infrastructure decisions that could make or break the UK's 2030 clean energy targets.In this episode, Ed Porter speaks with Ed Birkett, New Projects Director at Low Carbon.The conversation explores the current state of connections reform, the challenges facing renewable energy developers navigating the new grid offer system, the critical role of battery storage co-location with solar projects, and why substation siting decisions have become the new bottleneck for getting clean energy projects built on time.Chapters- 00:00 - Introduction and connections reform recap- 01:44 - The 1,000GW grid queue crisis- 02:04 - Transmission versus distribution network access differences- 03:21 - Gate one and gate two grid offers explained- 04:06 - Current status of gate two notifications- 05:28 - Connection date uncertainty and timeline delays- 07:39 - September deadline for final grid offers- 09:15 - Co-location of batteries with solar projects- 11:42 - Why Ofgem removed batteries from solar schemes- 14:58 - Network capacity constraints and upgrade costs- 17:25 - Active network management and curtailment solutions- 20:33 - Distribution versus transmission network capacity planning- 23:47 - Industry response to battery removal decisions- 26:19 - The business case for solar-battery portfolios- 29:51 - Substation siting challenges and planning delays- 32:44 - National Grid's role in new infrastructure- 35:16 - Summer solar generation and negative prices- 38:16 - How solar projects price curtailment risk- 40:10 - Next steps for connections reform implementation- 42:02 - Critical path issues for 2030 delivery- 43:24 - Contrarian view: using existing networks better

Power grids are shifting from reactive crisis management to proactive simulation and planning. Utilities can now rehearse extreme weather events, wildfire scenarios, and load surges before they happen, fundamentally changing how the grid stays reliable.Alejandro De Diego speaks with Marcus Johansson, Senior Executive - Wildfire Mitigation, Digital Transformation, Grid Modernization at Xcel Energy. The conversation explores how digital twins, virtual replicas of the physical grid, are enabling utilities to run simulations of weather events, wildfire scenarios, and increasing electricity demand. You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Alejandro De Deigo - VP of Insights.Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets. Want all the latest power market news? Sign up for our free Weekly Dispatch newsletter: https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchChapters- 00:03 - Introduction- 01:45 - Xcel Energy Overview- 03:05 - Grid Modernization Role- 04:26 - Digital Twin Technology- 05:27 - Analytics vs Simulations- 06:15 - Wildfire Mitigation Strategies- 07:28 - Advanced Metering Infrastructure- 08:13 - Predictive Maintenance Applications- 08:42 - Data Integration Challenges- 10:29 - Distribution Management Systems- 13:17 - AI Load Forecasting- 14:20 - Peak Demand Management- 16:01 - Sustainability Journey- 16:28 - Energy Transition Motivation- 17:10 - Infrastructure Investment Plans- 18:22 - Transmission Focus Areas- 18:58 - Join Xcel Energy- 19:18 - Contrarian Industry Views- 20:11 - Service Orchestration Mindset- 20:44 - Build vs Buy- 21:25 - Future Generation Optimism

Transmission is getting a glow up and we want to hear from you what we can improve. Help us by filling in this short survey. https://form.typeform.com/to/kCdj85iK?typeform-source=www.linkedin.comGas prices spiked over 25% in a week as cold weather and short squeezes created chaos across European and US markets in January 2026.Ed Porter speaks with Seb Kennedy, founder of Energy Flux, about the recent gas market crisis. Kennedy explains the short squeeze mechanics in European markets, US production freeze-offs, Trump's LNG policies, Venezuela's gas flaring tragedy, and Pakistan's solar boom versus LNG commitments.You can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter - VP of Insights.Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets. Want all the latest power market news? Sign up for our free Weekly Dispatch newsletterChapters:00:00 - Introduction and January 2026 gas spike01:44 - Seb Kennedy's dual role journalist analyst04:26 - Understanding TTF and Henry Hub hubs05:37 - Investment fund positioning and short squeeze09:05 - Weather patterns driving European gas demand12:13 - Nuclear outages worsening European gas crisis14:44 - US gas price spike explained16:53 - Freeze-offs and US production challenges21:13 - LNG export constraints at Freeport facility25:20 - Trump administration's impact on LNG markets29:20 - Panama Canal and geopolitical LNG considerations30:47 - Venezuela's political upheaval and oil situation32:40 - Venezuela's massive gas flaring crisis35:20 - Pakistan's renewable boom versus LNG commitments42:53 - Key themes to watch in 202644:25 - Contrarian view on import dependence

Transmission is getting a glow up and we want to hear from you what we can improve. Help us by filling in this short survey. https://form.typeform.com/to/kCdj85iK?typeform-source=www.linkedin.comCan energy-only market design deliver both reliability and affordability as electricity grids face unprecedented transformation?In this episode, Alex speaks with Keith Collins, Vice President of Commercial Operations at ERCOT, about managing the unprecedented challenges facing Texas's electricity grid. As data centers and AI facilities flood into the state, ERCOT must balance explosive demand growth with affordability and reliability all within an energy-only market structure that's unique among major US grid operators.Chapters:00:00 ERCOT's role in Texas grid management01:09 Electricity market design and efficiency02:28 Winter Storm Uri and resource adequacy04:40 Texas data center boom explained06:39 Energy-only markets and price signals08:18 Grid resource adequacy challenges12:28 Dispatchable reliability reserve service ECRS18:45 Real-time energy and ancillary services22:15 765kV transmission expansion in Texas26:30 Residential demand response and virtual power plants31:45 Comparing ERCOT to other US markets36:27 Future grid technologies and storage growth40:05 Distributed battery systems and grid integration41:05 ERCOT market design frameworkYou can watch or listen to new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.Transmission is a Modo Energy production. Your host is Ed Porter, our VP of Insights.Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets. Want all the latest power market news? Sign up for our free Weekly Dispatch newsletter: https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatch

While the industry often focuses on the cost of the hardware, the real challenge and value lies in successfully delivering, integrating, and operating these assets over their lifetime. As the market matures, the focus shifts from hardware procurement to the complexities of site integration, grid compliance, and ensuring long-term availability.In practice, microgrids are shaping how large-scale energy projects operate, helping to accelerate the use of grid-forming technology. Meanwhile, combining solar with battery storage is becoming an increasingly effective way to reduce wasted energy and improve project economics.In this conversation, Ed speaks with Lucie Kanius-Dujardin, Global Managing Director at NHOA, about what it really takes to deliver complex energy projects at scale. They discuss the realities of managing global supply chains, the push toward higher-capacity battery cells, and why the often-overlooked “brain” of the system - the Power Plant Controller - is just as important as the battery itself.Key topics discussed•Why the Power Plant Controller is critical to smooth commissioning and reliable performance - not just an add-on to the hardware.• How experience with microgrids has created an edge in deploying grid-forming technology on modern transmission networks.• Why more developers are pairing solar with storage to protect revenues and reduce grid constraints.• Whether a single global solution can work across very different local grid rules, from Scotland to Australia.• How integrators are keeping systems reliable as battery cells rapidly increase in size and capacity.About our guestLucie Kanius-Dujardin is the Global Managing Director of NHOA Energy, a global provider of turnkey battery energy storage solutions. With 15 years in the energy sector, she oversees the company's technology, delivery, and long-term asset service pillars across markets in Europe, Australia, and beyond.Connect with Lucie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucie-kanius-dujardin-47855521/?locale=en_USTo find out more about NHOA, head to their website: https://nhoa.energy/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.

The power grid is getting harder to run. There’s more wind and solar on the system, more sudden weather shocks, and less room for mistakes. How can the energy industry move past basic demand forecasts and focus on the tougher question: what’s the grid really going to need once you account for renewables?In this conversation, Alex is joined by Sean Kelly, CEO of Amperon. They explore how new weather models are offering better visibility for renewables and how the growing impact of data centers on electricity demand and grid planning is affecting markets, from Texas to Europe.Key topics discussed:• How forecasting accuracy can make or break performance during grid stress events.• Why forecasting 'net demand' is changing how renewable generation and storage is operated and traded.• How better forecasting is changing who wins (and loses) in power markets.• How data access and quality varies across ERCOT, NYISO, and European TSOs.• What rapid data center growth means for load, reliability, and energy security.About our guestSean Kelly is the Co-founder and CEO of Amperon, an AI-powered forecasting company built for the energy transition. Former energy trader with 20+ years of experience, including managing power portfolios and nuclear integration at EDF. Sean started Amperon after seeing firsthand how messy and limiting energy data can be and how much better decisions could be with the right tools. Find Sean on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-kelly-0792626/For more information on Amperon, head to their website: https://www.amperon.co/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.#renewableenergy #AI #datacenter #EnergyStorage

Batteries are no longer just shifting energy from one time of day to another - they’re becoming critical grid infrastructure. But to unlock their full potential, we need smarter ways to manage billions of data points in real time, so storage can deliver everything from peak shaving to power quality and grid support and keep them operating safely, efficiently, and optimally.In this conversation, Ed is joined by Roger Hollies, Chief Technical Officer at Arenko. Over the conversation, they discuss how market governance needs to evolve, why it’s time to crack open the ‘black box’ of automated trading, and how ‘rules as code’ could be the key to unlocking a cleaner, cheaper energy future.Key topics discussed:How software can make ultra-complex battery assets manageable.Why batteries are overtaking fossil fuels in essential grid roles like frequency response, voltage control, and inertia.The data infrastructure required to handle seven billion datapoints a day across global energy portfolios.How open-source, “rules as code” market design could speed up innovation.What must regulators do to enforce fair markets and guarantee top-tier service delivery.About our guestRoger Hollies is the Chief Technology Officer at Arenko, where he leads the development of Arenko’s Nimbus platform, a software solution that currently manages 1.2 gigawatts of battery, solar, and wind assets across the UK and international markets. Connect with Roger on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-hollies-a0650012/For more information on Arenko, head to their website: https://arenko.group/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchNavigating the energy transition requires more than just building assets; it requires a deep understanding of how to price risk in a market that is fundamentally cannibalising itself as it grows.The transition to a renewables dominated energy system requires expert commercial strategy, especially in the volatile realm of battery storage and renewable certificate. Ed Porter is joined by Josh Brown - Operations Team Manager at SSE plc to explore what the front office operations of a major utility look like in practice and what navigating market saturation in batteries and the management of third-party assets using financing tools like tolls and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).Key topics covered: •How utility origination teams manage the commercial complexity of battery assets in a fundamentally "self-cannibalizing" market?•What internal process are required to negotiate and approve complex, high-risk contracts such as tolls.• Is the energy sector prepared for the disruptive market shift from annual REGO matching to a 24/7 hourly certification system?• How commercial teams are structuring PPAs between developers and offtakers.• Whether Contracts for Difference (CFD) rules are creating significant exposure for large offtakers.About our guestJosh Brown is the Origination Team Manager at SSE, working within the Energy Markets division, managing market-facing power and gas positions for both SSE’s own extensive asset base and third-party clients. He specialises in navigating the complexities of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for solar, wind, and hydro, alongside structured battery optimisation products and the management of green certificate trading (including REGOs and ROCs) for the entire group. Connect with Josh here https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-brown-4a8b0336/?originalSubdomain=ukSSE is a leading clean energy utility with a major presence across Great Britain and Ireland. The group is active across the entire energy value chain, including renewable and thermal generation, electricity networks, and supply. SSE has contracted over 2 GW of batteries and 3 GW of CfD-backed assets in the last two years alone for more information, head to their website. https://www.sse.com/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchThe UK energy transition faces a critical bottleneck: a planning system crippled by risk aversion and procedural overload. In this episode, we explore the reality behind infrastructure delivery, from the 47 recommendations of the UK Prime Minister’s nuclear regulatory task force to the exploding demand for data centers. In this episode, Mustafa Latif-Aramesh (Partner and Parliamentary Agent at TLT ) joins Ed to examine how overlapping regulation and institutional duplication push developers toward compliance theatre rather than meaningful environmental protection, epitomised by Hinkley Point C’s infamous £700 million “fish disco.” The conversation explores what it would take to move the UK from a process-obsessed planning regime to one that rewards outcomes, accelerates delivery, and underpins the next wave of digital and energy infrastructure.Key topics covered:Why the UK’s infrastructure planning system prioritises administrative process over real environmental outcomes.How spending £700 million to protect a fraction of a salmon population reveals a breakdown in regulatory proportionality.Whether a single Nuclear Regulatory Commission could cut duplicative red tape and unlock faster decommissioning and new nuclear build.Is the Planning Inspectorate equipped to handle 500 proposed data centres alongside the wider energy transition?Can co-locating Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) with data centres address the sector’s “five nines” reliability challenge?About our guestMustafa Latif-Aramesh is a Partner at the law firm TLT, where he specialises in infrastructure planning across the entire energy spectrum from transmission lines and battery storage to wind, solar, and nuclear. He recently served on the Prime Minister’s Nuclear Regulatory Task Force, a specialist group established to diagnose why building nuclear capacity in Britain takes so long and to identify solutions for expediting deliveryWorking alongside industry leaders and economists, Mustafa helped author a report containing 47 recommendations designed to eliminate regulatory duplication and shift the system’s focus from administrative process to tangible outcomes. Beyond nuclear, he advises on the planning challenges facing the UK's rapidly expanding data center pipeline, advocating for a system that balances environmental standards with the need for critical infrastructure. You can follow his analysis on TLT’s infrastructure planning blog. Connect with Mustafa on Linkedin here. About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchSolar projects in Great Britain are often framed as a trade-off: can we combat climate change without compromising the countryside? Increasingly, the answer is yes. Across the country, solar developers are not only installing panels but actively restoring and enhancing the ecosystems around them.Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is reshaping what responsible solar development looks like. Many leading projects are far exceeding the statutory 10% requirement, transforming intensively farmed monoculture into thriving habitats. These sites now deliver clean power while providing farmers with stable, long-term income—showing we don’t have to choose between renewable energy and rich, living landscapes.In this conversation, Fran Button - deputy CEO at British Solar Renewables joins Ed to unpack how solar developers are designing projects that benefit both the grid and the natural world.• Why ecologists must establish a biodiversity baseline before construction begins.• How some developments are achieving BNG scores of 200% or more - well beyond what regulations demand.• Whether high-tech energy generation can genuinely coexist with low-tech agriculture.• Dispelling the misconception that solar farms are empty that solar developments lack ecological value.• How solar energy is providing farmers with a stable income stream that allows them to continue farming.About our guestFran Button is Deputy CEO of British Solar Renewables where she is responsible for all aspects of risk management and ESG. With a background as a specialist non-contentious construction lawyer involved in drafting and negotiating complex building contracts. Fran has particular expertise in renewables projects having being involved in large-scale solar development and funding and energy from waste projects.British Solar Renewables are developing, building, and operating renewable energy projects that power homes, businesses, and communities. From green fields to grid connection - creating clean energy that strengthens the UK’s resilience, supports biodiversity, and delivers lasting value for people and the planet. For more information head to their website. https://britishrenewables.com/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchThe global energy sector is increasingly exposed to unpredicatble weather. Wind droughts and extreme temperatures can create massive financial instability. How do renewables that rely on an ever increasingly hard to predict energy source - manage the risk that the sun might not shine, and the wind might not blow?This episode demystifies the multi-billion-pound market of weather derivatives, exploring how energy utilities, renewable asset owners, and battery optimisers use these customised structured products - using signals like Heating Degree Days, wind speeds, or precipitation to effectively transfer operational riskKey topics covered:- How thus multi-billion-pound market operates almost entirely out of sight.- How a single wind drought drained €1.6 billion from Germany’s energy system - highlighting why hedging renewable-generation risk has become mission-critical.- The financial “Lego bricks” that allow traders to build bespoke weather protection.- Why battery owners must hedge against boring weather and how low-volatility conditions could quietly erode their revenues.- Why financiers are insisting on weather insurance before funding new renewable assets.About our guestsTheresa Kammel - Weather Derivative Originator and Pierre Buisson - Senior Structurer, Weather and Energy work at Munich Re, one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, primary insurance and insurance-related risk solutions. Munich Re is also playing a key role in driving forward the digital transformation of the insurance industry. For more information, head to their website. https://www.munichre.com/en.htmlAbout Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchThe war in Ukraine has caused catastrophic destruction to its energy infrastructure, wiping out assets and rendering the much of the countries dispatchable generation capacity non-operational. This crisis has amplified the need for robust, flexible energy systems, in order to maintain power to the country during such testing times. This episode is about batteries as a necessity. Built as critical infrastructure. Built fast. Built for stability. Built for a grid that has to keep working, no matter what.In this episode, Julian Jansen, Managing Director at Fluence, discusses the deployment of 500 MWh of large-scale battery energy storage systems across seven projects in Ukraine. He outlines the technical, logistical, and operational considerations involved in delivering energy infrastructure in a highly complex environment.• How the destruction of more than 80% of Ukraine’s thermal and hydro power plants has created an urgent need for reliable energy storage.• How battery storage projects in the region provide critical grid support even as the electricity system faces ongoing conflict.• What it took to shorten project delivery timelines from the industry-standard twelve months to just six.• How remote commissioning and training have been used to equip Ukrainian teams with the skills needed to install, operate, and maintain advanced energy systems.• Why cybersecurity has become a core component of national energy security.About our guestJulian Jansen is the Managing Director at Fluence. Having previously been responsible for Fluence’s business in Southern and Eastern Europe, he is currently transitioning to the Managing Director role in Germany.Established in 2018, Fluence is one of the leading providers of battery energy storage solutions, software, and long-term services. Operating in 40 markets globally to transform how the world is powered using energy storage for a more sustainable future. For more information - head to the Fluence website. https://fluenceenergy.com/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchAustralia’s largest energy market is undergoing the most significant transformations since its conception. Rapid renewable uptake, growing system volatility, and shifting policy settings are forcing a fundamental rethink of how the National Electricity Market (NEM) operates. But with so many moving parts, one question sits at the centre of the transition: how do we build a market that remains reliable, affordable, and investable while decarbonising at speed?In this episode of Transmission, Tim Nelson joins Wendel to unpack the pressures reshaping Australia’s power system and what must change to keep pace. Over the conversation, they explore the market design challenges emerging across the NEM, from capacity mechanisms and reliability gaps to consumer expectations, policy uncertainty, and the economics of retiring coal. Tim explains why today’s market structures weren’t built for a high-renewables grid, how the investment environment is shifting, and what practical reforms could stabilise the system while enabling large-scale clean energy deployment.Key points covered:• Why the NEM’s current market design is struggling under the pace of the energy transition.• How retirement timelines for coal generation are reshaping reliability and investment signals.• What Australia needs from a capacity mechanism and what risks must be avoided.• How policy uncertainty and consumer expectations are influencing market behaviour.• What reforms could build a more stable, predictable, and investable market for renewables and storage.About our guest:Tim Nelson is a leading energy economist and policy expert with extensive experience across market design, system reform, and the evolution of Australia’s National Electricity Market.With experience at Iberdrola Australia, the AEMC, AGL and Griffith University Tim brings a wealth of knowledge to his current positions including his role as Chair of the independent review of Australia's NEM. Find Tim on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/timnelsonaustralia/About Modo Energy:Check out the Energy Academy Australia here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q-kwsfBPyc&list=PL_lhNBgOJnjTuKzdbLzQirHILoHYjaHYNModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchThe energy transition faces significant hurdles across Europe - especially in the Netherlands. Grid congestion, high grid fees, and investment uncertainty are creating a logjam that halts crucial infrastructure deployment like offshore wind and utility-scale batteries. This episode explores how leading integrated energy companies are strategically evolving to overcome these barriers. Learn how balancing assets like flexibility, energy storage, and electron sinks are essential for building resilient portfolios and unlocking positive business cases. We explore innovative and pragmatic solutions, including non-firm grid connections and hybrid industrial electrification, designed to revitalize demand and accelerate the path to decarbonizationIn this insightful conversation, Ed speaks with Karen de Lathouder, Chief Operating Officer from Eneco, to unpack the core challenges facing integrated energy companies navigating the next phase of the energy transition, focusing heavily on market design, grid constraints, and innovative flexibility strategies across Europe.Key topics include:• How high network fees and grid overload are stalling demand growth and delaying major investment projects in the Netherlands.• The New Utility Plan: Moving beyond simply building wind and solar toward creating a balanced portfolio that integrates batteries, hydrogen and VPPs for asset optimisation.• How the Netherlands is building this balanced system by combining renewables with storage, hydrogen, and VPP-enabled flexibility.• Why new large-scale renewables rely on long-term power contracts (PPAs), and how developers are using colocation to secure offtake.• How flexible grid access contracts are enabling the next wave of battery projects.• How dynamic pricing is reshaping customer behaviour.About our guestKaren is Chief Operating Officer at Eneco where she oversees asset-based value chains, covering everything from heat and renewable power to flexibility assets like batteries, hydrogen, and electric heating systems (e-boilers). She provides an expert view on what it takes to manage capital risk and activate crucial power demand in the North-West European energy sector.About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchNew York wants to deploy storage at speed, but developers are hitting one major barrier: interconnection. As the state pushes to deploy gigawatts of storage, projects are increasingly caught in long, uncertain queues, with upgrade costs that can make or break a business case. But while the bulk system slows under its own weight, smaller scale distributed storage is accelerating. These assets can move faster, connect more predictably, and get to market in time to capture NYISO’s rapidly evolving value streams.In this episode of Transmission, Daniel Gavrilov, CEO of Limitless Energy Co, speaks to Alex to break down how the grid’s bottlenecks are shaping development strategy in one of the most active energy storage markets in the US.Key topics covered:• The practical realities of developing storage in New York.• Where timelines get stretched and where they don’t.• Why C&I storage is becoming the backbone of near-term deployment.• How developers evaluate siting, costs, and grid upgrade risk.About our guestDaniel Gavrilov is CEO of Limitless Storage Co - a storage developer working across the New York market, specialising in distributed battery projects, interconnection strategy, and commercialisation pathways in NYISO. For more information, check out the website. https://www.limitlessenergyco.com/aboutAbout Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchAustralia’s energy system is shifting rapidly, with record levels of rooftop solar, home batteries, and local energy resources. But how do we ensure homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes can benefit from Australia’s vast solar potential? And how does a grid built for one-way power flows cope when millions of customers are also generators? As households and communities take a more active role in the energy system, distribution networks need to evolve fast. In this episode we explore how traditional ‘poles and wires’ utilities like Ausgrid are rethinking their role and adapting to meet the needs of both the network and their customers.In this episode of Transmission, Steve Lewis, Project Director - Community Power Networks at Ausgrid joins Wendel to explore how DNSPs are thinking about the shift from traditional network operators to facilitators of local energy exchange. Steve breaks down the Community Power Network trial: a new model that would enable households and businesses to share and trade energy locally, easing network constraints and unlocking more value from distributed energy resources. He explains why DNSPs need to rethink their role, how community-led energy models can support the grid, and what it takes to build trust, participation, and technical capability at the distribution level.Key topics covered:• Why the rise of local energy resources demands a new operating model for DNSPs.• How Ausgrid’s Community Power Network enables neighbourhood-level energy sharing.• The role of DNSPs in supporting flexible load, storage, and prosumer participation.• How community-led energy models can reduce constraints and deliver system benefits.• What the NEM needs to evolve into a truly decentralised, consumer-driven energy system.About our guest:Steve Lewis is Project Director, of the Community Power Network at Ausgrid, where he leads innovation in community energy, local flexibility, and distribution network evolution in the NEM. The premise of the Community Power Networks Trial is to turn local solar into shared value. For more information on the trial - head to the website. https://www.ausgrid.com.au/About-Us/Future-Grid/Community-Power-NetworksAbout Modo EnergyCheck out the Energy Academy Australia here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q-kwsfBPyc&list=PL_lhNBgOJnjTuKzdbLzQirHILoHYjaHYNModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchGrid connections have become one of the most urgent bottlenecks in the UK energy transition. With long queues, inconsistent timelines, and a system designed for a different era, developers are struggling to connect the very projects needed to decarbonise the grid. As demand for renewables, storage, and electrification accelerates, the question is no longer whether the system needs reform, but how quickly it can be delivered.In this episode of Transmission, Charles Deacon, Managing Director at Eclipse Power Solutions, joins Ed to break down the root causes of the UK’s connection backlog and what needs to change to fix it. Over the conversation, Charles explores how developers are navigating today’s connection challenges, what the recent reforms really mean in practice, and how networks, policymakers, and industry can work together to speed up delivery. He also shares lessons from real projects: what works, what doesn’t, and the operational realities behind getting assets connected in a congested system.Key points covered:• Why grid connection delays have become a major blocker for renewables and storage projects.• How developers are adapting to uncertainty, shifting requirements, and long lead times.• What the latest connection queue reforms mean for projects in practice.• How networks, regulators, and industry can collaborate to accelerate connections.• What a future, streamlined connection process should look like for a net-zero power system.About our guest:Charles Deacon is Managing Director at Eclipse Power Solutions. He is a specialist in grid connections and energy infrastructure development, with hands-on experience navigating the UK’s complex and rapidly evolving connection landscape. For more information on what Eclipse Power Solutions do - head to their website. https://eclipsepower.co.uk/solutions/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchRenewable build-out is accelerating, driven by record levels of solar deployment and shifting system needs. But as generation scales, the system’s ability to manage volatility isn’t keeping pace. Markets across the globe are experiencing deeper price swings, more frequent negative prices, and growing operational complexity all pointing to one issue: the flexibility gap.In this episode of Transmission, Dario Hernandez, Head of Energy Storage at NextEnergy Capital, breaks down why flexibility has become the defining challenge for the energy transition. Over the conversation, Dario explores how storage, co-located solar-plus-storage projects, and smarter market design are essential to maintaining system stability as renewable penetration rises. He explains what’s driving volatility, where markets are falling behind, and why places like Europe are entering a crucial phase that will determine the long-term resilience of its power system. The discussion unpacks how investors, operators, and policymakers can close the flexibility gap and unlock the value needed to support a high-renewables future.Key topic covered include:- How Europe’s rapid solar growth is outpacing the flexibility needed to stabilise the grid.- Why market volatility is making fast-response flexibility more valuable than ever.- How outdated market designs and regulatory frameworks are slowing investment in flexibility.- The role battery storage will play in managing solar-driven price swings and balancing the system.- What reform is needed to accelerate flexibility deployment and close the system gap.About our guest:Dario Hernandez is Head of Energy Storage at NextEnergy Capital where he focuses on power markets, flexibility, and the role of storage in supporting the energy transition. NextEnergy Capital is a leading international investment and asset management platform specialising in solar and renewables infrastructure. Learn more on their website: https://www.nextenergycapital.com/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchFor many households in the UK, the effects of the energy transition doesn’t yet feel fair, affordable, or accessible. As the UK moves towards a smarter, cleaner power system, big questions remain about who benefits, who pays, and how to ensure consumers are supported rather than left behind. The success of the transition will depend not just on technology and investment, but on designing a system that works for real people as well as for industry.In this episode of Transmission, Dhara Vyas, CEO of EnergyUK explores what it truly means to build a people-centred energy system. Over the conversation, Dhara unpacks how policy, pricing, and consumer engagement must evolve to ensure households can participate in, and benefit from, the shift to net zero. The discussion brings clarity to one of the transition’s biggest challenges: making the energy system work for everyone.Key topics covered:• Why fairness and affordability must be central to the energy transition - not an afterthought.• How households can meaningfully participate in a smarter, low-carbon system.• The policies and market reforms needed to protect consumers while enabling industrial investment.• Why better communication, engagement, and trust are essential for system change.• How to build an energy system that supports both households and industry as the UK moves toward net zero.About our guestDhara Vyas is Chief Executive Officer of EnergyUK and is an experienced energy policy and consumer engagement leader focused on building a fair, affordable, and inclusive energy system. She has worked across industry, policy, and advocacy organisations to shape how the UK transitions to a low-carbon future that works for everyoneAbout Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchBattery storage has moved from a niche technology to a cornerstone of modern power systems. But as the sector scales, investors face a new challenge: managing complexity across different markets, regulations, and revenue models. Building a global storage portfolio means balancing opportunity with risk and understanding how policy, pricing, and performance differ by region.In this episode of Transmission, Alicja Kowalewska-Montfort, Principal (Technical / Energy Storage) at Gore Street Capital breaks down how investors are approaching the next phase of storage growth. Over the conversation Alicja explores how the company approaches battery investment across Gore Street’s global portfolio. She explains what makes the markets unique, how diversification supports resilience, and why operational discipline is critical to long-term value. The conversation explores how investors are turning storage from a promising technology into a bankable global asset class.Key points covered:• Why financing energy storage remains complex despite growing demand.• The challenges of building and managing assets across multiple markets.• What makes battery projects bankable in different regulatory environments.• How policy, market reform, and merchant exposure shape investment decisions.• What needs to change to scale storage as a core part of the power system.About our guest:Alicja Kowalewska-Montfort is a Principal (Technical / Energy Storage) at Gore Street Capital where she focuses on technical diligence and portfolio optimisation for grid-scale batteries. Gore Street Capital is a private equity investment manager focusing on renewable energy. For more information head to their website. About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchFrom ERCOT to CAISO, MISO to PJM, regional differences are defining how clean energy assets are built, operated, and financed. Prices, policy, and technology are moving at different speeds and for developers and investors, keeping track of what matters most has never been more important.In this episode of Transmission, Brandt Vermillion & Pete Berini break down what’s driving change across US energy markets in 2025. They explore how policy reforms, flexibility signals, and battery economics vary by region, and what this means for those building the next generation of clean energy assets. The conversation dives into the fundamentals shaping storage revenues, market volatility, and how transparency can help investors make smarter, faster decisions in an increasingly complex landscape.Key points covered:•Changes to federal policy and how it has impacted renewables and BESS build out.•Trends in system durations across different markets.•How storage economics and flexibility markets are evolving.•Why transparency and data-driven insight matter more than ever.About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

As Great Britain connects its largest battery to the grid, the spotlight isn’t just on the technology - it’s also on the execution. Delivering storage at this scale requires coordination across engineering, operations, and markets. From grid connection challenges to day-to-day performance, success depends on much more than megawatts and megawatt-hours — it’s about precision, planning, and people.In this episode of Transmission, Lisa MacKay, Chief Operations Officer at Fidra Energy, shares what it takes to bring the UK’s biggest battery project from construction to operation. We explore the real challenges behind delivering large-scale storage - from managing contractors and timelines to optimising assets once they’re online, and what lessons this project offers for the future of flexibility and reliability in the power system.What it takes to build and operate Great Britain’s largest battery.The biggest challenges of scaling storage - from grid connection to commissioning.How operational decisions impact commercial performance.Lessons learned from running large-scale flexibility assets.What GB’s biggest battery means for the wider energy transition.About our guestLisa MacKay is the Chief Operations Officer at Fidra Energy, where she leads operations and organisational strategy across a growing renewable portfolio. With experience spanning development, trading, and leadership, she focuses on building resilient teams and scalable processes that support growth in a dynamic energy market. For more information on Fidra Energy, head to their website. https://fidraenergy.com/About Modo Energy:Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchThe Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) changed everything for clean energy in the US. It unlocked hundreds of billions in incentives for renewables, storage, and manufacturing, sparking a wave of investment and development. Now with the introduction of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ (OBBBA) new parameters are setting the stage for further shifts across the energy landscape. But while this new legislation has turbocharged existing projects, it’s also added complexity. Developers and investors are navigating evolving tax guidance, new compliance requirements, and ongoing uncertainty about how quickly capital can move into clean energy. So, what’s really changed and what does it mean for the future of project finance in the US?In this episode of Transmission, Alex de Deigo speaks with Keith Martin, Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, about how US policy is reshaping energy markets from the ground up. Together, they unpack how tax credits are structured and traded, what’s slowing the flow of capital into clean energy, and why long-term success will depend on clarity, consistency, and political follow-through.Key topics covered: • How US clean energy policy changed under the IRA and continues to develop under the OBBBA.• How transferability is changing the way tax credits are financed.• The role of tax equity in bringing large-scale renewable projects to life.• What developers and investors need to know about new guidance and compliance.• The risks and opportunities shaping the next phase of the US energy transition.About our guest:Keith Martin is a transactional lawyer and energy policy expert and partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, advising many of the world’s largest renewable energy investors and developers. With decades of experience at the intersection of law, finance, and policy, he offers deep insight into how landmark legislation is shaping the future of the US energy transition.About Modo Energy:Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchFlexible and hybrid energy projects are essential for a resilient, decarbonised grid but they’re still the hardest to finance. Investors know flexibility has value, yet traditional project finance models can’t capture it, leaving critical projects stuck before they start.In this episode of Transmission, Roberto Castiglioni and Helena Anderson from Ikigai Capital explain why today’s financing structures are failing to meet the needs of the modern grid. We explore why flexibility projects are so difficult to bank, what investors are missing when it comes to valuing hybrid assets, and how smarter financial modelling could unlock the next wave of storage, co-location, and system optimisation.Key topics covered:- Why flexibility and hybrid projects remain underfunded despite strong system need- The revenue and risk barriers stopping co-located assets from reaching financial close- How project finance must evolve to reflect system value, not just generation- The role of regulation and market signals in de-risking investment- What collaboration between developers, investors, and system operators could look likeAbout our guests:Roberto Castiglioni and Helena Anderson are co-founders of Ikigai Group, an investment and advisory firm bridging the gap between capital and the energy transition. They specialise in developing and financing complex projects that combine renewables, storage, and flexibility solutions to create smarter, more resilient energy systems.For more information, head to the Ikigai website. https://www.ikigai-capital.co.uk/About Modo Energy:Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchThe US energy market is complex, fragmented, heavily regulated, and dominated by legacy systems that make innovation difficult. Yet in that complexity lies opportunity. As the energy transition accelerates, retailers are rethinking what it means to serve customers and how technology can deliver cleaner, smarter, and more affordable power at scale.In this episode of Transmission, Quentin is joined by Nick Chaset, CEO of Octopus Energy US, about how the company is bringing its UK model stateside and what it takes to adapt it to the realities of the American market. We explore how Octopus is using technology to create customer-centric energy products, how flexibility can unlock system-wide efficiency, and why retail innovation might be the key to accelerating decarbonisation.• Why legacy retail models are holding back customer innovation in energy•The barriers and opportunities of transforming complex electricity markets• How flexible tariffs and technology can empower consumers to shape demand•The role of digital platforms in building smarter, more dynamic energy systems• What the US can learn from global examples of customer-led decarbonisationAbout our guestNick Chaset is CEO of Octopus Energy US, leading the company’s expansion across North America. He focuses on scaling Octopus’s customer-centric energy model, leveraging the Kraken platform to deliver affordable, flexible, and sustainable power to millions of American consumers. For more information on Octopus Energy US - head to their website. https://octopusenergy.com/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatchThe US energy market is complex, fragmented, heavily regulated, and dominated by legacy systems that make innovation difficult. Yet in that complexity lies opportunity. As the energy transition accelerates, retailers are rethinking what it means to serve customers and how technology can deliver cleaner, smarter, and more affordable power at scale.In this episode of Transmission, Quentin is joined by Nick Chaset, CEO of Octopus Energy US, about how the company is bringing its UK model stateside and what it takes to adapt it to the realities of the American market. We explore how Octopus is using technology to create customer-centric energy products, how flexibility can unlock system-wide efficiency, and why retail innovation might be the key to accelerating decarbonisation.• Why legacy retail models are holding back customer innovation in energy•The barriers and opportunities of transforming complex electricity markets• How flexible tariffs and technology can empower consumers to shape demand•The role of digital platforms in building smarter, more dynamic energy systems• What the US can learn from global examples of customer-led decarbonisationAbout our guestNick Chaset is CEO of Octopus Energy US, leading the company’s expansion across North America. He focuses on scaling Octopus’s customer-centric energy model, leveraging the Kraken platform to deliver affordable, flexible, and sustainable power to millions of American consumers.About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

The grid was never designed for millions of distributed energy assets. Yet today, batteries, EVs, solar, and heat pumps are connecting faster than the network can reinforce - pushing grid capacity to its limits. The result? Growing connection queues, rising curtailment, and a system struggling to keep pace with electrification. So how do we move from a grid that reacts to constraints to one that actively manages them? DSOs are evolving and distribution-level flexibility matters now more than ever. What does it take to build market infrastructure that actually works for both system operators and flexibility providers?In this episode of Transmission, James Johnston - CEO of Piclo, returns to the show to discuss explore how local flexibility markets are being used to manage congestion today and what digitalisation really means for networks.Key topics covered: • Why grid constraints are the biggest threat to the energy transition.• How local flexibility markets are solving real congestion problems today.• The evolving role of DSOs and how they coordinate with TSOs.• What digitalisation means for system planning and grid visibility.• Lessons from live flexibility markets in the UK, Europe, and the US.About our guestJames Johnston is CEO and co-founder of Piclo, a flexibility marketplace used by network and system operators to procure flexibility from distributed energy resources. Through his work at Piclo, he is helping system operators manage congestion, reduce reinforcement costs, and accelerate the transition to a smarter, more flexible electricity system.For more information, head to the Piclo website. https://www.piclo.com/About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.