Inside the Blackout That Froze the Iberian Power Grid
When the Iberian electrical grid blacked out earlier this year, there were real-life consequences. Widespread disruption of transportation, communication networks and essential services left Spain and Portugal temporarily paralyzed. Following the event, two separate reports were released by the Spanish government and the grid operator, Red Electrica de Espana, where both agreed that voltage fluctuations were the root cause of the outage. However, they then went on to present conflicting opinions as to why authorities were unable to bring voltage under control. So why did this voltage fluctuation occur in the first place, and what actions have been taken to protect the Iberian electricity grid from future incidents? On today’s show, Tom Rowlands-Rees is joined by Eva Gonzalez Isla, a senior associate from BNEF’s grids team, to discuss findings from her research note “Iberia Blackout: Blame Before Facts”. Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com Links to research notes from this episode: Spain Clears €750 Million for Grid After 16-Hour Blackout: React - https://www.bnef.com/analyst-reactions/sz4qsadwlu6800 Iberia Blackout: Blame Before Facts - https://www.bnef.com/insights/36887 Spain Blackout Accounts Pin Blame But Do Little for Grid: React - https://www.bnef.com/analyst-reactions/sy3km9dwlu6800See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Bonus: Will Trump’s bill trigger a ‘Big, Beautiful’ energy crunch?
This week, we explore how the legislation’s attack on renewable energy may push up electricity bills and damage US competitiveness in AI. The tax credits in President Joe Biden’s sprawling Inflation Reduction Act were introduced to help the US keep up with rising electricity demand by making clean power sources cheaper. But now the big bill has changed all that, and an executive order issued days after its passage suggests his war on renewables isn’t over yet. Joining host Stephanie Flanders to discuss this dramatic turn of events are guests Ethan Zindler, head of country and policy research at BloombergNEF and previously climate counselor to US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Bloomberg lobbying and influence reporter Emily Birnbaum. For more episodes of Trumponomics, subscribe on Apple or Spotify. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Capex and Investment in the New Industrial Revolution
Just how green are the investment portfolios of credit, equity and multi-asset funds? Building on its existing suite of banking and investment ratios, BloombergNEF has introduced the Energy Supply Fund-Enabled Capex Ratio, which assesses how much a given investment portfolio is contributing to low-carbon capital expenditures for every dollar directed to fossil fuels. Worldwide, low-carbon energy gets just 48 cents for every fossil-fuel dollar, but the regional picture when it comes to funding this new “industrial revolution” is far more complex. On today’s show, Dana Perkins is joined by BNEF finance and investment associate Ryan Loughead to discuss how investors are funding the low-carbon industrial revolution and the inaugural “Energy Supply Fund-Enabled Capex Ratio” report. Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com Links to research notes from this episode: Energy Supply Fund Enabled Capex Ratio - https://www.bnef.com/insights/36751See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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AI Data Centers: Making Waves in the Energy Demand Sea
Everyone is talking about how much energy data centers and artificial intelligence will gobble up in the coming years. Yet AI is just one part of a vast, complex and constantly evolving energy landscape. So how will the AI revolution fit into a world where electric vehicles are displacing liquid road fuels, renewable-power projects are stuck in grid queues and big tech is investing in nuclear? On today’s show, Tom Rowlands-Rees is joined by Ian Berryman, BloombergNEF’s head of energy systems modeling, to discuss findings from this year’s edition of the New Energy Outlook. For the first time ever, BNEF’s flagship report has modeled the impact of data centers on the transition to a low-carbon economy. But how much of the global power supply will AI really require? And will additional clean energy sources be built to meet that added demand, or could the extra grid strain simply extend the lifespan of fossil-fuel generation? Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com Links to research notes from this episode: New Energy Outlook 2025 - https://www.bnef.com/insights/36179 Executive Summary - https://about.bnef.com/insights/clean-energy/new-energy-outlook/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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China Drives Global EV Sales as US Support Fades
Sales of electric vehicles are set for another record-breaking year. Thanks to falling battery costs and a rise in affordable models, plug-in EVs will represent a quarter of global passenger car sales in 2025. And while a rollback in government support has taken a bite out of EV uptake in the US, other countries are more than making up for this setback. Chinese automakers have been growing their footprint overseas, leading to strong growth in emerging markets. In China itself, organic consumer demand will lead to 50% of new vehicle sales this year coming with a plug, far surpassing government targets, and strong domestic sales of range-extended EVs have led them to become the fastest-growing drivetrain in the world. On today’s show, Tom Rowlands-Rees is joined by Colin McKerracher, BloombergNEF’s Head of Clean Transport, to discuss findings from this year’s Electric Vehicle Outlook. Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com Links to research notes from this episode: Electric Vehicle Outlook 2025 - https://www.bnef.com/flagships/ev-outlookSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The future of energy, transport, sustainability and more, as told by BNEF analysts. Each week, Dana Perkins and Tom Rowlands-Rees sit down with BloombergNEF (BNEF) analysts to uncover the key findings and stories behind their latest research.
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