Energy Unplugged by Aurora

EP.272 – Renewables at Scale: Flexibility, Grids and the Future Power System

This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re joined by Ana Marques, Executive Board Member at EDP. She joins Ana Barillas, Aurora’s Managing Director for Iberia & LatAm, to explore how flexibility, grids, and system resilience are becoming central to the next phase of the energy transition, alongside continued growth in wind and solar. 
Ana sits on EDP’s Executive Board and oversees the group’s global renewable generation platform, alongside responsibility for digital, technology, and safety. Drawing on EDP’s international footprint, she shares how scale, technology diversification, and disciplined value creation underpin the company’s strategy, and why renewables must increasingly deliver not just clean energy, but also reliability and system services.
You will learn:
Why flexibility, grids, and resilience are now critical pillars of renewable-heavy power systems.
How renewables and storage are increasingly contributing to ancillary services and system stability.
What lessons recent system stress events offer for operating low-carbon power markets.
How electrification, data centres, and hydrogen are reshaping future power demand and market design.

EP.271 - Flexibility, Batteries and the Future of Europe’s Power System

This week on Energy Unplugged, Jesse Hetema, Aurora’s Head of the Netherlands and Belgium, is joined by Simon Bushell, Founder and CEO of Sympower, to explore why flexibility has become a critical pillar of Europe’s energy transition. They discuss how rising price volatility, negative prices and grid congestion are shifting the focus from pure decarbonisation towards system resilience, and why demand-side response and batteries are now essential to keeping renewable-heavy power systems stable and investable.
Simon founded Sympower in 2015 and has grown the company into a leading provider of flexibility services across Europe, with a strong presence in the Nordics and Greece. Drawing on his experience working with industrial customers, he explains how flexibility is unlocked in practice – from identifying low-cost demand-side opportunities to optimising batteries across multiple markets – and why digital platforms, advanced dispatch and supportive regulation are key to scaling flexibility across Europe.
Listeners will also hear how tools like Aurora’s Flex subscription help market participants understand flexibility opportunities and price dynamics, and how CHRONOS supports the optimisation and valuation of battery assets across volatile power markets.
You will learn:
Why flexibility is now essential to Europe’s power system, as congestion and curtailment become structural challenges.
How flexibility services and BESS optimisation generate value across multiple European power markets.
What storage owners and large energy users need to get right to maximise multi-market revenues from flexibility.
How market design, grid constraints, and regional differences are shaping the future of flexibility at scale in Europe.

EP.270 Review of 2025: Insights from the Global Energy Transition with 12 Aurora Experts

2025 has been a landmark year for the global energy sector and the energy transition, marked by rapid change and significant challenges.
Aurora has brought together the key themes shaping the energy transition into a special end of year report and accompanying podcast – hosted by our Global Research Director, Richard Howard and with contributions from 12 Aurora experts from Aurora’s global network.
Key themes explored are:
US policy changes under the Trump administrationThe report delves into the sweeping policy shifts enacted by President Trump’s administration, which have had significant effects on both domestic and international energy markets. Increased trade tariffs, a renewed focus on US energy independence, and the rollback of clean energy incentives have altered investment flows and market dynamics. The analysis explores how these policies have impacted global trade, LNG exports, and the competitiveness of renewables.
The AI boom and data centre expansionA defining trend of 2025 has been the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and data centre development. Electricity demand from data centres globally now rivals that of a major economy such as Germany, creating both opportunities and challenges for utilities and grid operators. The discussion covers the need for rapid grid expansion, investment in flexible infrastructure, and the implications for renewable energy integration as data centres become increasingly central to power system planning.
Grid reliability amidst climate volatility and renewables buildoutExtreme weather events, ageing infrastructure, and the accelerated deployment of renewables have placed grid reliability at the forefront of concerns. The report and podcast examine major outages and system stress in regions such as Iberia, Australia, and the US, analysing their causes and the responses from system operators and policymakers. It underscores the importance of proactive planning, investment in grid-forming technologies, and the role of flexibility—such as batteries and demand response—in maintaining system stability.
Challenges and solutions for renewables integrationAs renewables reach record levels of deployment, new challenges have emerged: negative pricing, grid congestion, and economic curtailment. The report and podcast feature case studies from Europe, Latin America, Japan, and India, illustrating how different markets are addressing these issues through technology, market design, and policy innovation. Solutions discussed include longer duration storage, portfolio optimisation, and reforms to locational signals, all aimed at ensuring the continued success of the energy transition.

EP.269 – Ofgem’s Steve McMahon on Grid Investment, Faster Delivery and Net-Zero Needs

This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Steve McMahon, Ofgem’s Director for Network Price Controls. He joins Dan Monzani, Aurora’s Managing Director for the UK & Ireland, to unpack Ofgem’s final determinations for RIIO-3 and what the next regulatory period means for networks, consumers and investors. The discussion explores the scale of required electricity and gas network investment, how strategic planning and new procurement approaches aim to accelerate delivery, and the challenges posed by surging demand, connection queues and rising system constraints.
 
Steve leads Ofgem’s regulation of the onshore electricity and gas networks, overseeing the current price controls and the development of the RIIO-3 settlements, as well as serving as Ofgem’s Head of Scotland. He brings deep experience from senior roles across UK and Scottish Government, including in transport infrastructure and economic analysis.
 
You will learn about:
Why RIIO-3 marks a major step-change in network investment and planning.
How Ofgem is balancing delivery speed, investment viability, and consumer protection.
The tools designed to accelerate grid upgrades - from early-stage funding to advanced procurement.
The growing cost of system constraints and why timely investment is essential.

EP.268 – Elevion’s Mariglen Nora on Europe’s Renewable, Storage & Biomethane Momentum

This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Mariglen Nora, Head of the Green Energy Segment at Elevion Group, joining Casimir Lorenz, Aurora’s Market Lead for Central Europe & the Nordics, for a deep dive into how European renewable and flexibility markets are evolving across Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK, and beyond.
Mariglen oversees Elevion’s portfolio of specialist companies spanning PV, battery storage, biomethane, and other clean technologies, and serves on the boards of BELECTRIC, BELECTRIC GREENVEST, and EnergyShift. Drawing on extensive experience at Elevion and CEZ Group, he offers a granular, cross-market perspective on how utility-scale PV, BESS, biomethane, and grid constraints are shaping investment priorities across Europe.
You will learn about:
How Germany’s PV boom is now shifting toward co-located solar + battery projects, and how grid constraints are shaping investor behavior.
Italy’s leadership in biomethane, the role of the MACSE mechanism in making battery storage bankable, and the country’s strong mix of renewable incentives.
The complementary relationship between PV, batteries, and biomethane: batteries for fast, short-term flexibility, and biomethane for dispatchable, long-duration power, creating a more resilient energy mix.
How rising renewable penetration across Europe is driving hybrid project development, while grid access and regulatory frameworks remain key bottlenecks.

EP.267 – Matt Kean on Australia’s Energy Transition, Policy Reform & Climate Leadership

This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome the Honourable Matt Kean, Chair of Australia’s Climate Change Authority and Director at Wollemi. He joins Hugo Batten, Aurora’s Managing Director for APAC, and James Ha, Aurora’s Head of Research for APAC, for a deep conversation on how Australia is reshaping its energy system - through policy reform, market design, and strategic investment - to deliver a cleaner, more secure, and more affordable power sector
Matt draws on over a decade in senior government roles - including NSW Minister for Energy & Environment, NSW Treasurer, and Deputy Leader of the NSW Liberal Party - where he led major reforms in renewable energy, grid investment, and climate legislation. Now at Wollemi, he is helping scale climate-positive investments while continuing to shape Australia’s national climate strategy through the Climate Change Authority.
You will learn about:
Australia’s path to rapid decarbonisation, including REZs, long-duration storage, grid upgrades, and state–federal coordination.
Unlocking clean industry, from green manufacturing and critical minerals to electrifying mining operations.
Reforming legacy subsidies - such as diesel fuel tax credits - to accelerate clean technology uptake.
The information ecosystem shaping climate decisions, including RenewEconomy, BNEF, and independent journalism.

EP.266 – Brookfield’s Nawal Saini on India’s Renewable & Transition Investment

This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Nawal Saini, Managing Partner in Brookfield’s Renewable Power & Transition Group. He joins Dan Monzani, Aurora’s Managing Director for the UK & Ireland and India, alongside Debabrata Ghosh, Aurora’s Head of India, for a deep dive into how renewable deployment and transition investment are accelerating in India and other emerging markets.
Nawal leads Brookfield’s renewable and transition business across these regions, drawing on extensive experience in energy and infrastructure investment at CDPQ, JP Morgan, and Jacob Ballas, as well as banking roles with ABN Amro Bank and SBI Capital Markets. His perspective combines large-scale capital allocation, platform building, and first-hand insight into navigating policy, regulatory, and market complexity in fast-growing economies.
You will learn about:
How clean energy investment is scaling in India and other emerging markets - and the structural drivers behind investor momentum.
Barriers to rapid renewable deployment, including grid constraints, curtailment, and delays in long-term PPA execution.
The rising role of hybrid renewables, batteries, and firm dispatchable renewable electricity (FDRE) solutions in delivering reliable energy at scale.
How Brookfield evaluates opportunities, structures partnerships, and manages risk in high-growth emerging markets.

EP.265 – Karol Wolański & Roch Baranowski on Poland’s Power Market Transition

This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Karol Wolański, Head of Flexibility & Aggregation at Respect Energy, and Roch Baranowski, Chief Strategy Officer at Respect Energy Holding. They join Piotr Dobrzynski, Aurora's Market Lead for Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia, to discuss how Poland and the wider CEE power markets are evolving in response to renewable growth, regulatory reforms, and market volatility.
Karol brings deep expertise in balancing markets and cross-border power exchange, leading the development of flexibility and aggregation services for renewables and storage assets. Roch oversees Respect Energy’s growth strategy, combining commercial and environmental value creation, with extensive experience in energy transition, consulting, and sustainable innovation.
You will learn about:
• How flexibility and balancing services are reshaping operating models and creating new revenue streams for renewable generators and storage operators.
• Strategic approaches to optimizing battery energy storage and capturing ancillary service revenues.
• Innovative PPA structures and other mechanisms that unlock additional value in evolving power markets.
• Opportunities for early movers in Poland, the CEE region, and beyond, as the power market adapts to higher renewable penetration and new regulations.

EP.264 Anna von Bremen on Green vs. Grey: Making Germany’s Energy Market Work

This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Anna von Bremen, Partner and Head of Energy Innovation at Osborne Clarke. She joins Nico Leicht, Project Leader in Aurora’s Berlin Advisory Team, to discuss market design, regulatory frameworks, and innovation in the German power sector.
Anna brings deep expertise in energy regulation and co-located battery storage projects, advising on both technical and commercial aspects of the evolving market. Nico and Anna explore how Germany’s grid, regulatory processes, and market mechanisms are adapting to increasing renewable penetration and new storage technologies.
Main topics include the following:
• The role of regulators and grid operators in enabling a more flexible, digitalized, and grid-friendly energy system.• Challenges and opportunities for co-located battery storage, including the integration of green and grey power, smart homes, and virtual power plants.• Market mechanisms, including redispatch processes, capacity pricing, and dynamic variable pricing, and their implications for investment certainty.• The path forward for Germany’s energy transition, balancing efficiency, rationalization, and the technical implementation of climate and grid targets.

EP.263 Marcio Trannin and Ricardo Motoyama on Power Shift: How Brazil is Navigating Renewables and Market Transformation

This week on Energy Unplugged, we’re delighted to welcome Marcio Trannin, Managing Director for LATAM at Sunco Capital and Vice-President of the Board of Administrators at ABSOLAR, and Ricardo Motoyama, Senior Vice President of Commercial & Business Development at Elera Renewables. They join Rodrigo Borges, Aurora’s Market Lead for Brazil, to explore how Brazil’s liberalising power market, rapid renewable expansion, and evolving policy landscape are reshaping the country’s energy future.
Marcio brings nearly three decades of experience across renewables, M&A, and regulatory affairs in Latin America’s electricity markets. Ricardo complements this with a strong commercial and financial background, offering insights into how trading, innovation, and risk management are driving new business models and accelerating Brazil’s transition to cleaner power. Together, they reflect on how Brazil can remain competitive in a global energy transition increasingly defined by flexibility and investment scale.
Main topics include the following:
The evolution of Brazil’s liberalised power market and what it means for generators, investors, and consumers
The rapid expansion of renewables - particularly solar and the operational challenges of integrating decentralized generation
The importance of policy and regulation in enabling long-term investment and competition
Lessons from international markets and what’s next for Brazil’s energy transition