Wolfe Power Club Podcast

In this year's Budget Special, Alex Wolfe looks at what the energy sector wants from the Chancellor, John Healey, as he delivers the UK Autumn Budget 2026.
Alex goes through the budget asks from six trade bodies: the Renewable Transport Fuels Association, the Road Haulage Association, Fuels Industry UK, Offshore Energies UK, Energy UK and the Carbon Capture Storage Association.
The issues range from fuel duty and diesel prices to the cost of electricity for industry, the future of North Sea oil and gas, household energy bills and investment in carbon capture.
With energy costs and investment high on the agenda, will the Chancellor deliver what the sector is asking for?
Join, host Alex, on 3-4 November for the Energise Landscape Conference at The Kia Oval, London as he chairs the first panel on Day 1 here. Register your interest here: https://energiselandscape.co.uk/energy-landscape-uk-2026
Stay tuned to our socials for a discount for Wolfe Power Club listeners!
Resources
RHA & Greg Smith MP (LinkedIn)
Fuels Industry UK: Industry and union joint letter to Chancellor ahead of the Budget
OEUK & David Whitehouse (LinkedIn)
LBC News: Iran War: Is Rosebank oil field now the solution to the energy crisis?
Energy UK & Shauna Dubler (LinkedIn)
Energy Voice: Opinion: If Britain hesitates now, competitors will snap up CCS investment
About The Host
Alex Wolfe is CEO of the Renewable Transport Fuel Association, podcaster and host of the Wolfe Power Club Podcast, reaching 300,000 listeners weekly. He has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including senior roles at Certas Energy, responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs, and leading M&A activity within the UK fuel sector.
Alex also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit and brings extensive experience across energy, transport and fuel markets to the Wolfe Power Club Podcast.
Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator
Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase
If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials
Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club
 
Wolfe Power Club Production Team
Director of Government Relations: Max Austin
Designer: Nick Pelekanos
Editor: Adam Woodward
Social Media Manager: Bella Carter
 
This episode was produced at Studio 55

In this episode of Wolfe Power Club, host Alex Wolfe examines the problems facing British industry, from delays in connecting new projects to the electricity grid to high energy costs.
Microsoft has pulled out of its agreement with Nscale for a planned AI data centre in Loughton, Essex, after the grid connection was pushed back to the 2030s. What does this mean for investment in Britain?
Alex also looks at an Oxford Economics report on the UK’s long-term investment shortfall, the cost of industrial electricity compared with other countries, and the impact of high and unpredictable energy prices on manufacturers.
If Britain wants to attract investment, grow its industries and create jobs, does it need to get to grips with energy costs and grid connections?
Resources
The UK’s Investment Shortfall: https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/resource/the-uks-investment-shortfall/
Microsoft pulls out of AI datacentre project in Essex over power supply concerns: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/18/microsoft-drops-huge-ai-datacentre-project-in-essex-over-power-supply-concerns
Burnham announces 'Great British Grid: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GoY7TrLhpa8
Electrify everything! Octopus boss on Britain's energy problems: https://youtu.be/5WgS-Dsm31E?si=RMhm8MkKcjczW2zY
Why Climate Change Is Worse Than You Think | Global Warming Expert Emma Pinchbeck: https://youtu.be/2osysX_tYe0?si=geTCBBaQ4yguHsaT
About The Host
Alex Wolfe is CEO of the Renewable Transport Fuel Association, podcaster and host of the Wolfe Power Club Podcast, reaching 300,000 listeners weekly. He has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including senior roles at Certas Energy, responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs, and leading M&A activity within the UK fuel sector.
Alex also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit and brings extensive experience across energy, transport and fuel markets to the Wolfe Power Club Podcast.
Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator
Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase
If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials
Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club
 
Wolfe Power Club Production Team
Director of Government Relations: Max Austin
Designer: Nick Pelekanos
Editor: Adam Woodward
Social Media Manager: Bella Carter
 
This episode was produced at Studio 55

What energy comes next for your HGV? As the industry looks towards net zero, are electric trucks the answer, or will diesel, hydrogen and biomethane continue to play a part?
At the IAA Transportation truck show in Hannover, Alex Wolfe speaks to more than 11 manufacturers to find out what’s happening in the HGV market. We hear from Dr Till Conrad, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Toyota Motor Europe, about the different powertrain options available for commercial vehicles. Alex also speaks exclusively to Domenico Gostoli, BYD’s Head of Trucks and Buses for Europe, about the company’s new electric HGV range and its target of 600 km real-world range.
The episode looks at why electric HGVs are taking time to gain traction, with charging infrastructure, payload and cost all playing a part in fleet operators’ decisions.
Link to SMMT report: https://www.smmt.co.uk/hgv-market-grows-for-first-time-in-two-years/
About The Host
Alex Wolfe is CEO of the Renewable Transport Fuel Association, podcaster and host of the Wolfe Power Club Podcast, reaching 300,000 listeners weekly. He has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including senior roles at Certas Energy, responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs, and leading M&A activity within the UK fuel sector.
Alex also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit and brings extensive experience across energy, transport and fuel markets to the Wolfe Power Club Podcast.
Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator
Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase
If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials
Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club
 
Wolfe Power Club Production Team
Director of Government Relations: Max Austin
Designer: Nick Pelekanos
Editor: Adam Woodward
Social Media Manager: Bella Carter
 
This episode was produced at Studio 55

Britain is now entering a £2 a litre world. So what’s really happening at the pump?! It means that, since February, a return trip in a car from London to Liverpool is £33 up, and a truck is £168 up!!!
Almost six months after our last major fuel price discussion, Alex Wolfe is joined again by Tom Highland, Managing Director of Highland Group; Sarah Kind, VP Customer Success of EdgePetrol; and Gordon Balmer, Executive Director of the Petrol Retailers Association, alongside Gideon Carroll, Founder and CEO of EdgePetrol.
Together, they look at what’s driving fuel prices higher, how retailers are coping and what £2 a litre means for drivers, businesses and the people running petrol stations.
We get into rising wholesale costs, squeezed retailer margins, the cost of buying fuel, changing customer behaviour and the wider pressure on the economy.
We also get into what the government could do, from fuel duty and VAT to supporting UK refining and North Sea production.
See Alex's interview with Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/1fdf6289-bc99-4263-af79-da1060a09394?syn-25a6b1a6=1
Biographies
Tom Highland is the Managing Director of Highland Group. A family-run fuel retail business for over 45 years with 6 sites across Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Suffolk. He has taken a leadership role in running the sites for 10 years. Winner of several Forecourt Trader awards, including the Special Recognition award in 2024. First to trial Co-op's new & Co-op fascia offer. The business currently has 5 sites with BP and 1 with Esso, and previously with Shell. Tom runs a TikTok account to show what it's like to run a petrol station from under the @thepetrolretailer channel.
Sarah Kind is VP Customer Success at EdgePetrol, a fuel pricing and analytics platform supporting around 1,000 independent forecourts. She joined in 2018 to build the Customer Success function when the business was in its early stages, and has since moved into a commercial leadership role. Sarah works closely with retailers to help them navigate fuel pricing, improve performance, and stay competitive in a fast-changing market. She is passionate about building customer relationships and bringing practical insight to the complexities of fuel pricing.
Gordon Balmer is the Executive Director of the UK Petrol Retail Association. Gordon has worked for the PRA since 2013, primarily as Commercial Manager, where he was responsible for all marketing and commercial activities and represented the PRA in meetings with a number of Government Departments. Gordon has extensive experience in the fuel industry, having worked for BP for 30 years. During this time he worked in fuel sales, strategic planning, project management, UK Fuel Card Manager and UK Country Manager where he was responsible for fuel cards, commercial fuel, automotive lubricants and fleet performance management.
EdgePetrol's founder and CEO Gideon Carroll has a commodity trading background specifically gasoline trading. Gideon founded EdgePetrol in 2015 in the UK and has been at the forefront of helping independent retailers manage margins and profit. EdgePetrol proudly works with 33 of the top 50 independent retailers in the UK and is now expanding into the US market. 
About The Host
Alex Wolfe is CEO of the Renewable Transport Fuel Association, podcaster and host of the Wolfe Power Club Podcast, reaching 300,000 listeners weekly. He has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including senior roles at Certas Energy, responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs, and leading M&A activity within the UK fuel sector.
Alex also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit and brings extensive experience across energy, transport and fuel markets to the Wolfe Power Club Podcast.
Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator
Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase
If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials
Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club
 
Wolfe Power Club Production Team
Director of Government Relations: Max Austin
Designer: Nick Pelekanos
Editor: Adam Woodward
Social Media Manager: Bella Carter
 
This episode was produced at Studio 55

Britain’s refining industry is under growing pressure, with just four oil refineries remaining compared with nine in 2000. At the same time, the UK now imports 55% of its fuel, compared with 20% at the start of the century.
Host Alex Wolfe is joined by Kathryn Porter of Watt Logic and Elizabeth de Jong, CEO of Fuels Industry UK, to examine what is happening to Britain’s refining capacity and what it means for fuel security and the wider UK energy system.
Kathryn returns to the podcast following her previous episode, which became our most popular and debated episode. This time, the discussion covers carbon costs, overseas competition, carbon leakage, and government policy, and asks whether the UK can maintain a viable refining industry while meeting its wider energy and environmental ambitions.
Resources
Fuel Industry UK website: https://www.fuelsindustryuk.org/
Kathryn's refinery report: https://watt-logic.com/2026/08/31/refineries-report-says-abolish-the-ets/
Biographies
Kathryn Porter is an independent energy consultant, with experience across the energy and finance sectors, who runs the energy consultancy Watt Logic. She advises companies across the energy value chain on new projects, procurement, risk management and regulatory and market changes, with particular expertise in utilities, oil and gas.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Physics from the University of Exeter and an MBA from London Business School. Kathryn is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments, a member of the Institute of Directors and an associate member of the Executive Council of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies.
As CEO of Fuels Industry UK, Elizabeth de Jong is responsible for the overall management and effectiveness of Fuels Industry UK as the UK's principal advocate for the downstream oil sector. An economist by background, Elizabeth has deep experience in public and private sector interface roles including at industry representative bodies and in central government, plus commercial, delivery, and strategy roles for UK plcs. Elizabeth was Director of Policy at Logistics UK prior to joining Fuels Industry UK and has worked for the UK Government's Department for Transport and the Rail Delivery Group.
About The Host
Alex Wolfe is CEO of the Renewable Transport Fuel Association, podcaster and host of the Wolfe Power Club Podcast, reaching 300,000 listeners weekly. He has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, including senior roles at Certas Energy, responsibility for 900 fuel HGVs, and leading M&A activity within the UK fuel sector.
Alex also chairs The Spectator Energy Summit and brings extensive experience across energy, transport and fuel markets to the Wolfe Power Club Podcast.
Season Three is in Partnership with The Spectator
Tickets for the upcoming The Spectator Energy Summit, on Monday 30th November 2026, are available on sale. Use code: WPC50 for 50% off your purchase
If you would like to partner with The Spectator Energy Summit, please contact Alex on LinkedIn or emilia@wolfepowerclub.com

Follow Our Socials
Website: https://www.wolfepowerclub.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WolfePowerClub
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wolfe-power-club/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Wolfe-Power-Club-61564466454360/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wolfepowerclub/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wolfe.power.club
 
Wolfe Power Club Production Team
Director of Government Relations: Max Austin
Designer: Nick Pelekanos
Editor: Adam Woodward
Social Media Manager: Bella Carter
 
This episode was produced at Studio 55