It's been a busy first year for the EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen. The Iberian blackout, grid congestion, curtailment of renewable energy and a record number of negative prices. How does he plan to tackle some of these issues in 2026?

In this episode, Richard sits down with the EU´s top energy official in the heart of the European Commission to discuss the details of his grids package released earlier this week, his stance on the future of Russian gas supplies, and how he is trying to work with member states who oppose the ban. 

Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News

Contributor: Fatima Sadouki - Brussel's Reporter, Montel News
Guest: Dan Jorgensen - European Commissioner for Energy

Editor: Oscar Birk
Producer: Sarah Knowles

The global LNG market has been tight since 2022, with prices remaining around USD 10/MMbtu (about EUR 30/MWh). 

 However, with the one-year countdown to the complete phase-out of Russian gas starting next month, and a new wave of LNG capacity from the US and Qatar expected to come online from next year - could prices drop as low as USD 7/MMbtu? 

 In this episode, Richard sits down with LNG analysts and geopolitical experts to discuss how Asia could see a strong demand rebound in the next few years, why Germany's declining industrial gas consumption puts downward pressure on long-term demand into Europe. But there is a note of caution as structural challenges in the US LNG construction industry are likely to  cause supply delays. 

Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News

Contributor: Laurence Walker - Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Montel News

Guests: 

Henning Gloystein - Managing Director of Energy and Resources, Eurasia Group. 

Saul Kavonic - Head of Energy Research, MST Financial.

Editor: Oscar Birk

Producer: Sarah Knowles

Has the flagship climate conference of the parties (COP) lost its touch? 

One week after the closing of the annual COP conference,  we  examine the deals - or non-deals - that  came out of the two weeks of negotiations, and why the EU failed in its negotiations to deliver a  plan for the global transitioning away from fossil-fuels. 

Richard speaks to Lord Adair Turner about the pressure from petro-states on negotiations, the unusual alliances with developed countries, and why expectations surrounding COP's effectiveness as a mechanism for change are dwindling. 

Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News
Contributor: Cem Bektas - Carbon Reporter, Montel News

Guest: Lord Adair Turner - Chairman, Energy Transitions Commission

Editor: Oscar Birk
Producer: Sarah Knowles

Germany boasts the biggest economy in Europe. Yet energy-intensive industries in the country are struggling with high energy costs versus their global competitors. 

The German government has said it will aim to lower the cost of power to EUR 50/MWh - far below current wholesale prices - from 1 January 2026 with the launch of its new industry power price.

What are the implications for German companies, larger firms as well as the smaller and medium sized companies that are the engines of the country’s economy?

In this episode, Richard speaks to Dr. Claudia Kemfert about the current sentiment towards the  coalition government. In  addition, what doed its plans to tender 10GW of predominantly gas-fired power plants says about Germany's commitment to the green energy transition?

Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News
Contributor: Christian Driessen - Germany Editor, Montel News

Guest: Dr. Claudia Kemfert - Professor of Energy Economics and Energy Policy at Leuphana University Lüneburg, and Head of the Energy, Transportation and Environment Department at the German Institute for Economic Research

Editor: Oscar Birk Hellenes
Producer: Sarah Knowles

In recent months, political opposition towards renewable energy policies in the UK has been on a steady rise, as commitment to deliver "cheaper power" starts to overtake the ambition to have "clean power". Energy affordability is firmly back on the agenda.

In the drive to deliver green targets have politicians overhyped the implications of a move to a decarbonized power system? Is free power for all a realistic or even feasible concept? If not, how can consumers be incentivised to use electricity when it’s cheap and not when it’s expensive? What are the real consequences?

In this episode, Richard sits down with Afry Director, Stephen Woodhouse, at Montel's Energy Day in London to talk about whether the push for “clean power by 2030” can deliver cheap power, what changes are needed to deliver more private investment and how political and geopolitical shifts have reshaped costs and policy objectives.

Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News
Contributor: Laurence Walker - Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Montel News

Guest: Stephen Woodhouse - Director, Afry

Editor: Bled Maliqi
Producer: Sarah Knowles

In October, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol - the world’s most widely used carbon accounting framework - launched two public consultations, inviting input from professionals across the industry to share their thoughts on proposed changes to the current guidance for scope 2 carbon emissions and market-based accounting.  

But what are the changes? How do they affect big businesses on a global level? Could reformulating the methodology for temporal and locational reporting have far-reaching consequences for the GO market? 

In this episode, Richard sits down with experts in Amsterdam to discuss the proposed updates to the GHG Protocol, and what these changes mean for renewable energy markets and corporate sustainability reporting.

Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News
Contributor: Alina Trabattoni - Italy Reporter, Montel News

Guests: 
Killian Daly - Executive Director, EnergyTag
Carolyn Addy - Head of Commercial, Renewable

Editor: Bled Maliqi
Producer: Sarah Knowles

Anyone who has visited Norway in recent years will be struck at the advance the country has made with electric vehicles and its charging infrastructure.

Should this be rolled out across Europe, EVs could consume just over 100 TWh by 2030. What will be the impact on  grids, heavy goods transport and supply chains?

Listen to a discussion on the challenges faced in the electrification of transport, especially the impact that the electrification of heavy goods vehicles will have on grids. What solutions does Europe need to deploy in order to cope with the rollout of high-speed EV charging stations?

Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News
Contributor: Gert Ove Mollestad - Norway Editor, Montel News

Guests:

Wenche Teigland - CEO, Fount
Shan Tomouk - BESS and Energy Research Lead, Benchmark Minerals Intelligence

Editor: Bled Maliqi
Producer: Sarah Knowles

European gas storage levels are lower compared to the same time last year, but many market participants are fairly confident that there will be enough of the fossil fuel for the months ahead. However, the weather remains the uncertain factor with some experts estimating that gas prices could jump more than 30% if Europe is hit with very cold temperatures this winter.

What’s the outlook for prices as demand remains low, Europe becomes increasingly reliant on US LNG amid an unstable geopolitical situation?

In this episode, Richard sits down with the London Stock Exchange Group to discuss several potential seasonal scenarios and the key market drivers for the months ahead. 

Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News
Contributor: Laurence Walker - Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Montel News

Guest: Wayne Bryan - Research Principal, London Stock Exchange Group

Editor: Bled Maliqi
Producer: Sarah Knowles

Long-term renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) have been in steady decline across parts of Europe, thanks to low wholesale prices and a volatile market. Yet some short-term standardised PPA products have seen encouraging uptake — could those be a blueprint to restart the broader market? 

Richard speaks with German trading company FlexPower about pricing dynamics, contract structure and risk allocation. Listen to a wider discussion on the key factors behind the success of recent moves to standardise PPAs and the practical and cultural barriers that remain. 

Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News

Contributor: Kelly Paul - Reporter, Montel News
Guest: Amani Joas - Managing Director, FlexPower

Editors: Oscar Birk
Producer: Sarah Knowles

April's huge blackout across the Iberian peninsula, and parts of France, triggered a storm of debate In Spain and more widely across Europe. Despite the publication of several reports, questions remain over the cause of the outage, what lessons the country’s power system has learned from it and how to strengthen grid resilience,

In this episode, Richard Sverrisson speaks to local experts to unravel the findings of a recent report into the outage, the reaction from grid operators, and how the industry is adapting in the aftermath. The discussion explores how Spain’s TSO has shifted into a ‘safe mode’, the renewed reliance on gas generation, and why distributed assets and batteries could hold the key to grid stability in the years ahead.

Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News
Contributor: Pablo Bronte - Spain Editor, Montel News

Guests:
Christina Rentell - Research Lead, Aurora Energy Research
Daniel Garasa Sagardoy - Europe Solar Analyst, Wood Mackenzie

Editor: Oscar Birk Hellenes
Producer: Sarah Knowles