Energy Unplugged by Aurora

This week on Energy Unplugged, Richard Howard, Global Research Director at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Sara Vaughan, Chair of Elexon. 

For years, the energy transition was largely a race to build renewables. Now, a different challenge is emerging: how do you run a power system increasingly shaped by millions of smaller, flexible assets? 

EVs, heat pumps, batteries and smart meters are creating enormous flexibility across the electricity system. Yet much of that potential remains difficult to see, value and coordinate. Without the right data and market rules, flexibility risks becoming a bottleneck rather than a solution. 

At the heart of the discussion is a bigger question about how Britain's future power system should work. Does the system operator need ever greater visibility and control, or can better price signals allow consumers, suppliers and distributed assets to do more of the work themselves? 

Britain already has much of the technology it needs. The next challenge is building a market capable of making millions of individual assets behave like one flexible system. 

Main topics include: 

This week on Energy Unplugged, Richard Howard, Global Research Director at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Sara Vaughan, Chair of Elexon. 

For years, the energy transition was largely a race to build renewables. Now, a different challenge is emerging: how do you run a power system increasingly shaped by millions of smaller, flexible assets? 

EVs, heat pumps, batteries and smart meters are creating enormous flexibility across the electricity system. Yet much of that potential remains difficult to see, value and coordinate. Without the right data and market rules, flexibility risks becoming a bottleneck rather than a solution. 

At the heart of the discussion is a bigger question about how Britain's future power system should work. Does the system operator need ever greater visibility and control, or can better price signals allow consumers, suppliers and distributed assets to do more of the work themselves? 

Britain already has much of the technology it needs. The next challenge is building a market capable of making millions of individual assets behave like one flexible system. 

Main topics include: 

This week on Energy Unplugged, Emma Woodward, Principal in Aurora Energy Research’s GB & Ireland Advisory team and GB Flexible Energy Lead, is joined by Peter Kavanagh, CEO of Harmony Energy. 

Britain has built one of Europe’s most mature battery markets, largely without subsidy. But success brings its own complications. 

As batteries scale, the debate is shifting from whether the technology works to whether the market around it does. Merchant revenues remain volatile; projects can spend years waiting for grid and planning approvals, and batteries are still not always fully utilised when they could provide a cheaper alternative for balancing the system. 

At the same time, support for long-duration storage raises a more uncomfortable question: could policy designed to accelerate storage end up distorting a market that has already proved it can compete? 

For Peter, the message is increasingly simple: batteries have demonstrated their value. Now the challenge is removing the barriers that stop them delivering more of it. 

Main topics include: 

This week on Energy Unplugged, Emma Woodward, Principal in Aurora Energy Research’s GB & Ireland Advisory team and GB Flexible Energy Lead, is joined by Peter Kavanagh, CEO of Harmony Energy. 

Britain has built one of Europe’s most mature battery markets, largely without subsidy. But success brings its own complications. 

As batteries scale, the debate is shifting from whether the technology works to whether the market around it does. Merchant revenues remain volatile; projects can spend years waiting for grid and planning approvals, and batteries are still not always fully utilised when they could provide a cheaper alternative for balancing the system. 

At the same time, support for long-duration storage raises a more uncomfortable question: could policy designed to accelerate storage end up distorting a market that has already proved it can compete? 

For Peter, the message is increasingly simple: batteries have demonstrated their value. Now the challenge is removing the barriers that stop them delivering more of it. 

Main topics include: 

This week on Energy Unplugged, Jose Munoz, Market Lead for Spanish-speaking South America at Aurora Energy Research, and Melissa Carreño, Product Manager for Peru and Colombia, are joined by César Butrón, Chairman of the Board of COES, Peru's national system operator. 

For two decades, Peru has benefited from some of the cheapest electricity in Latin America, supported by abundant low-cost gas from Camisea. But the conditions that shaped that success are beginning to change. 

Demand is rising, cheap gas can no longer be taken for granted, and investors are struggling to finance new renewable projects despite strong resources and significant interest in the market. At the same time, policymakers face difficult decisions around gas infrastructure, battery storage, transmission expansion, and system reliability. 

Drawing on decades of experience at the centre of Peru's power sector, César explains why the country is not facing a shortage of electricity, but a potential shortage of affordable electricity, and what that means for Peru's next phase of development. 

Peru's challenge is no longer keeping the lights on. It's deciding what will power them next. 

Main topics include: 

This week on Energy Unplugged, Jose Munoz, Market Lead for Spanish-speaking South America at Aurora Energy Research, and Melissa Carreño, Product Manager for Peru and Colombia, are joined by César Butrón, Chairman of the Board of COES, Peru's national system operator. 

For two decades, Peru has benefited from some of the cheapest electricity in Latin America, supported by abundant low-cost gas from Camisea. But the conditions that shaped that success are beginning to change. 

Demand is rising, cheap gas can no longer be taken for granted, and investors are struggling to finance new renewable projects despite strong resources and significant interest in the market. At the same time, policymakers face difficult decisions around gas infrastructure, battery storage, transmission expansion, and system reliability. 

Drawing on decades of experience at the centre of Peru's power sector, César explains why the country is not facing a shortage of electricity, but a potential shortage of affordable electricity, and what that means for Peru's next phase of development. 

Peru's challenge is no longer keeping the lights on. It's deciding what will power them next. 

Main topics include: 

This week on Energy Unplugged, Richard Howard, Global Research Director at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Michael Tobin CBE, one of the pioneers of the European data centre industry, former CEO of TelecityGroup and Non-Executive Director at Five Nines Group, alongside Sebastian Murphy, Director of Development & Innovation at Five Nines Group, to explore what it really takes to deliver data centre projects in Europe. 

Driven by AI, cloud computing and digitalisation, data centres are becoming one of the fastest-growing sources of electricity demand worldwide. But as power constraints, permitting challenges and supply chain bottlenecks intensify, can Europe remain competitive in the global race to build the infrastructure that will underpin the next generation of AI? 

Michael and Sebastian pull back the curtain on the realities of delivering data centres at scale, from securing scarce grid connections and navigating planning hurdles to managing supply chains, construction risk and ever-tightening sustainability requirements. They discuss why Europe's established data centre hubs are running out of room to grow, how regional markets are emerging as the next frontier for investment, and why access to power has become the industry's defining challenge. 

The episode also examines the shift towards AI inference facilities, the rise of behind-the-meter power solutions, and whether Europe has the regulatory framework needed to compete with the US and China. Along the way, the guests share firsthand insights from the front line of data centre development and make the case for what needs to change if Europe is to remain a serious player in the global AI race. 

You will learn: 

This week on Energy Unplugged, Anise Ganbold, Head of Research - Global Energy Markets & Hydrogen at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Philip Norman, Partner and Head of International Arbitration at CMS. 

Long-term energy contracts are designed to create certainty. They underpin billion-dollar investments, support critical infrastructure, and help keep energy flowing across borders. 

But what happens when the world changes? 

From pandemics and sanctions to wars, shipping disruptions and political intervention, recent years have tested assumptions many contracts were built upon. As markets become more volatile, questions around risk allocation, force majeure and contractual flexibility are becoming increasingly important. 

Drawing on decades of experience in international energy disputes, Philip explains why contract terms often matter more than price, how legal systems approach disruption differently, and what happens when unforeseen events put agreements under pressure. 

The world's energy systems depend on long-term contracts. The challenge is making sure they can survive in a world that no longer feels predictable. 

Main topics include: 

This week on Energy Unplugged, Anise Ganbold, Head of Research - Global Energy Markets & Hydrogen at Aurora Energy Research, is joined by Philip Norman, Partner and Head of International Arbitration at CMS. 

Long-term energy contracts are designed to create certainty. They underpin billion-dollar investments, support critical infrastructure, and help keep energy flowing across borders. 

But what happens when the world changes? 

From pandemics and sanctions to wars, shipping disruptions and political intervention, recent years have tested assumptions many contracts were built upon. As markets become more volatile, questions around risk allocation, force majeure and contractual flexibility are becoming increasingly important. 

Drawing on decades of experience in international energy disputes, Philip explains why contract terms often matter more than price, how legal systems approach disruption differently, and what happens when unforeseen events put agreements under pressure. 

The world's energy systems depend on long-term contracts. The challenge is making sure they can survive in a world that no longer feels predictable. 

Main topics include: 

This week on Energy Unplugged, Ana Barillas, Managing Director for Iberia and Latin America at Aurora Energy Research, and Rodrigo Borges, Market Lead for Brazil, are joined by João Brito Martins, CEO of EDP Brazil. 

Brazil's energy transition has been one of the world's great success stories. Renewable capacity has expanded rapidly, solar deployment has surged, and the country has established itself as one of the largest and most dynamic power markets globally. 

But success has brought a new set of challenges. 

As curtailment rises, grid constraints intensify and investment in new renewable capacity slows; the conversation is shifting from how to build renewables to how to integrate them. At the same time, market liberalization is gathering pace; battery storage is preparing its first major auction, and policymakers face growing pressure to deliver the right signals for the next wave of investment. 

João reflects on how Brazil's power sector has evolved, why networks are becoming increasingly important, and what must change to unlock the country's next investment cycle. 

Brazil has shown it can deliver the energy transition at scale. The next challenge is creating a power system that can keep up. 

Main topics include: