Energy Unplugged by Aurora

Daniel Gerber, Global Business Line Manager for Renewable Power and Motion High Power at ABB with nearly two decades in R&D and operations, discusses how inverter-based renewables reshape grid stability. He covers grid-forming inverters and synchronous condensers, the rising stress from data centres and electrification, and the growing importance of digital simulation and grid twins for planning.

Jack Graham, PJM researcher who studies grid operations and capacity markets, and Lizzie Bonham, data‑center policy analyst focused on location and behind‑the‑meter tech, dig into soaring AI-driven power demand. They discuss Northern Virginia’s role, interconnection bottlenecks, market and regulatory shifts, behind‑the‑meter and gas bridging, and the challenge of forecasting huge concentrated loads.

Randolph Brazier, Global Head of Clean Power Systems at HSBC and former energy networks engineer, joins to explore APAC power realities. He discusses grid stability and long-duration storage. Talks cover coal repowering and transition finance. He examines data centre demand, curtailment in high-renewables systems, and the need for smarter market design and regional interconnection.

Steven Mandel, Partner at TPG Rise Climate who manages multibillion-dollar power and electrification investments, joins to discuss AI-driven demand and power markets. He covers accelerating data center load, why solar-plus-storage stays competitive, how investors now favor quality over scale, and the role of policy, affordability and gas costs in shaping future capital flows.

Nat Bullard, co-founder of Halcyon and former BloombergNEF content lead, brings data-led clarity to energy and markets. He covers Halcyon’s AI for grid data, the mixed signals in global decarbonisation, cooling demand as a major electrification driver, China’s rise as an electrostate and manufacturing powerhouse, and looming grid and interconnection constraints from booming data centre and AI loads.

Michael Lewis, CEO of Uniper with three decades in power generation, gas trading and renewables, reflects on delivering the transition at system scale. He discusses Germany’s renewables progress, hydrogen-ready gas plants replacing coal, the shifting role of customer flexibility, batteries vs gas for reliability, gas market resilience after Russia, and how data centres and electrification reshape demand.

Pieter-Jan Mermans, co-founder and managing partner at Junction Growth Investors and former founder of REstore, discusses how flexibility, optimisation and software have moved to the center of Europe’s energy transition. Short takes cover demand-side response, automated trading and batteries, grid-enhancing digital solutions, and why execution, unit economics and market design now shape what scales.

This week on Energy Unplugged, we share a keynote address from Jonathan Brearley, Chief Executive of Ofgem, recorded live at Aurora’s Energy Transition Summit in London. Jonathan sets out why the UK’s energy transition now requires deep systemic reform -moving beyond a purely market-led model towards a more strategic, coordinated approach to planning, regulation and delivery. Drawing on lessons from electricity market reform and the rapid scale-up of offshore wind, he argues that choosing low-cost pathways, coordinating infrastructure, enabling flexible demand and spreading costs fairly are essential to delivering a cleaner, more secure and affordable energy system. Jonathan reflects on the pressures driving reform, from volatile gas prices and rising energy bills to surging demand from electrification, AI and data centres. He outlines how Ofgem is responding through faster network approvals, connection reform, closer coordination with the National Energy System Operator, and a renewed focus on retail market reform. The discussion highlights the challenge of balancing affordability, security and decarbonisation while creating a regulatory framework capable of supporting large-scale investment in networks and clean energy. You will learn: Why systemic reform is now essential to deliver a coordinated, lower-cost energy transition beyond a purely market-led model. How affordability, fairness and energy debt are shaping the transition, and what needs to change to protect consumers. What a reformed regulatory framework must do to unlock investment, accelerate grid build-out and enable flexible demand. Registration for the leading annual gathering of the European energy industry – the Aurora Spring Forum, taking place on 29th April 2026, in London is open - a one-day deep dive into the biggest strategic questions shaping Europe’s energy transition, plus top-tier networking and a live recording of Energy Unplugged. Book now at https://auroraer.com/events/aurora-spring-forum-2026 and use code PODCAST20 for 20% off.

Konstantin Niklas, Head of Sales at Entrix, brings investor and asset-management chops. Steffen Schülzchen, Founder and CEO of Entrix, builds optimisation and trading platforms for batteries. They discuss how grid congestion and flexible connection rules are reshaping battery investments. They cover ramping limits, redispatch impacts, co‑location tradeoffs, and how smarter optimisation and market design could unlock capacity.

Dame Dawn Childs, CEO of Pure Data Centres Group, on data centre demand and microgrids. Keith Anderson, CEO of Scottish Power, on grid build-out and investor confidence. Jonathan Brearley, CEO of Ofgem, on regulatory agility and network planning. They discuss planning bottlenecks, escalating electricity demand, grid reform, cost allocation and using data centres for system flexibility.