The Energy Revolution

The energy transition is redefining what it means to be an energy retailer. For decades, these companies played a relatively straightforward role: buying electricity from the wholesale market and selling it to consumers. But that model is being turned on its head.

As households increasingly adopt electric vehicles, heat pumps, rooftop solar and home batteries, consumers are becoming active participants in the energy system. In a cleaner, more decentralised world, retailers may need to do far more than bill customers. They could become trusted energy managers, helping households decide when to use electricity, when to store it and when to sell it back to the grid.

So are energy retailers ready for that transformation?
Could AI finally transform the customer experience?
If traditional suppliers do not step into this new role, will someone else?

This week, Capgemini's Carl Haigney joins host Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett to discuss the future of energy retail. Together, they explore whether energy retailers are equipped for this new role, how AI could transform the customer experience, and what happens if traditional suppliers fail to adapt. Will retailers lead the next phase of the energy transition, or will new entrants seize the opportunity?

Keywords:

Energy Retail | Smart Homes | AI | Smart Meters | EVs | Heat Pumps | Vehicle-to-Grid | Energy Bills | Energy Markets | Customer Trust | Capgemini

Europe has experienced more heatwaves this summer than in any previous year, and the energy system is struggling to cope.

As the effects of climate change become more dramatic and damaging each year, our energy infrastructure will come under increasing strain as well.

Increasing AC demand, Nuclear shutoffs, and plants down for summer maintenance, hot summers create new challenges that the UK and Europe are not used to managing.

This week we are joined by Ben Watts, data analyst and founder of Killowatts.io, to discuss what this will look like, and how we cope.

Alongside our host, Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett, Ben gives his views on how the heatwaves expose deeper problems with the UK grid, and what we should be doing to address them.

Keywords:

Climate | Heat | Wildfires | Renewables | Gas | Energy

As the energy system becomes more weather-dependent, matching supply with demand becomes a more of a geographic challenge. Wind, solar and hydro are spread across different geographies, weather systems and time zones. A cleaner, cheaper and more resilient power system will therefore need to be more connected.

In this episode, Simon Ludlam, founder of Etchea Energy, joins host Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett to discuss the role of interconnectors in the energy transition. Simon is a veteran of the interconnector industry, with experience developing major projects linking Britain, Ireland and continental Europe.

They cover how interconnectors work, what it takes to build them, and why international trust matters when countries share critical energy infrastructure.

They also discuss UK-EU energy cooperation after Brexit, interconnection in Europe and Asia, and whether a transatlantic electricity cable could one day connect Europe and North America.

Keywords:

Interconnectors | Electricity Grids | Energy Security | Renewables | North Sea | Grid Infrastructure | Clean Energy | Energy Markets | UK Energy | Europe

China is already central to the global clean energy story. It dominates renewable technology manufacturing, leads the world on EVs and batteries, and is often described as the emerging “electrostate”. But we tend to hear much less about China’s own electricity system.

So how does it work?
Why has electricity been so important to China’s economic growth?
And what can the UK and Europe learn from the way China is reforming its power markets?

This week, Professor Michael Pollitt from Cambridge University joins host Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett to unpack the past, present and future of China’s electricity system.

They discuss the scale of Chinese power demand, the role of provincial electricity markets, how China combines state ownership with competition, the politics of coal and renewables, and why China may become one of the most important testing grounds for the future of electricity market design.

Keywords:
China | Electricity Markets | Electrification | Renewables | Energy Security | Power Systems | Clean Energy | Energy Transition | Market Reform |

This week we’re talking about energy bills.

The UK has some of the highest electricity prices in theworld, and global events are once again pushing oil and gas markets into the headlines. But what actually drives the cost of energy in Britain? How will the latest crisis in the Middle East feed through to household bills? And does the price cap really protect consumers in the way people think?

This week, Kate Mulvany joins host Sulaiman Ilyas-Jarrett tounpack how the UK energy market really works. Kate has worked for industry leaders such as Centrica and Cornwall Insights, and is now Director at Mulvany Consulting.

They discuss why gas still has such a big impact on electricity prices, how policy and infrastructure costs end up on bills, and why there is no single switch government can pull to make energy cheap overnight.
 

Keywords:
Energy Bills | Price Cap | Energy Prices | Gas | Electricity| Renewables | Fuel Poverty | Energy Security | UK Energy | Net Zero