Transmission

By Ed Porter, Modo EnergyBusiness Science Investing Physics

Transmission episodes

January 29 The 1% That Makes Or Breaks A $100M Battery Project with Lucie Kanius-Dujardin (NHOA)
While the industry often focuses on the cost of the hardware, the real challenge and value lies in successfully delivering, integrating, and operating these assets over their lifetime. As the market matures, the focus shifts from hardware procurement to the complexities of site integration, grid compliance, and ensuring long-term availability.
In practice, microgrids are shaping how large-scale energy projects operate, helping to accelerate the use of grid-forming technology. Meanwhile, combining solar with battery storage is becoming an increasingly effective way to reduce wasted energy and improve project economics.
In this conversation, Ed speaks with Lucie Kanius-Dujardin, Global Managing Director at NHOA, about what it really takes to deliver complex energy projects at scale. They discuss the realities of managing global supply chains, the push toward higher-capacity battery cells, and why the often-overlooked “brain” of the system - the Power Plant Controller - is just as important as the battery itself.
Key topics discussed
•Why the Power Plant Controller is critical to smooth commissioning and reliable performance - not just an add-on to the hardware.
• How experience with microgrids has created an edge in deploying grid-forming technology on modern transmission networks.
• Why more developers are pairing solar with storage to protect revenues and reduce grid constraints.
• Whether a single global solution can work across very different local grid rules, from Scotland to Australia.
• How integrators are keeping systems reliable as battery cells rapidly increase in size and capacity.
About our guest
Lucie Kanius-Dujardin is the Global Managing Director of NHOA Energy, a global provider of turnkey battery energy storage solutions. With 15 years in the energy sector, she oversees the company's technology, delivery, and long-term asset service pillars across markets in Europe, Australia, and beyond.
Connect with Lucie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucie-kanius-dujardin-47855521/?locale=en_US
To find out more about NHOA, head to their website: https://nhoa.energy/
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.
All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.
42 min
January 29 The 1% That Makes Or Breaks A $100M Battery Project with Lucie Kanius-Dujardin (NHOA)
While the industry often focuses on the cost of the hardware, the real challenge and value lies in successfully delivering, integrating, and operating these assets over their lifetime. As the market matures, the focus shifts from hardware procurement to the complexities of site integration, grid compliance, and ensuring long-term availability.
In practice, microgrids are shaping how large-scale energy projects operate, helping to accelerate the use of grid-forming technology. Meanwhile, combining solar with battery storage is becoming an increasingly effective way to reduce wasted energy and improve project economics.
In this conversation, Ed speaks with Lucie Kanius-Dujardin, Global Managing Director at NHOA, about what it really takes to deliver complex energy projects at scale. They discuss the realities of managing global supply chains, the push toward higher-capacity battery cells, and why the often-overlooked “brain” of the system - the Power Plant Controller - is just as important as the battery itself.
Key topics discussed
•Why the Power Plant Controller is critical to smooth commissioning and reliable performance - not just an add-on to the hardware.
• How experience with microgrids has created an edge in deploying grid-forming technology on modern transmission networks.
• Why more developers are pairing solar with storage to protect revenues and reduce grid constraints.
• Whether a single global solution can work across very different local grid rules, from Scotland to Australia.
• How integrators are keeping systems reliable as battery cells rapidly increase in size and capacity.
About our guest
Lucie Kanius-Dujardin is the Global Managing Director of NHOA Energy, a global provider of turnkey battery energy storage solutions. With 15 years in the energy sector, she oversees the company's technology, delivery, and long-term asset service pillars across markets in Europe, Australia, and beyond.
Connect with Lucie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucie-kanius-dujardin-47855521/?locale=en_US
To find out more about NHOA, head to their website: https://nhoa.energy/
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.
All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.
42 min
January 27 Forecasting When the Grid Has No Margin for Error with Sean Kelly (Amperon)
The power grid is getting harder to run. There’s more wind and solar on the system, more sudden weather shocks, and less room for mistakes.
How can the energy industry move past basic demand forecasts and focus on the tougher question: what’s the grid really going to need once you account for renewables?
In this conversation, Alex is joined by Sean Kelly, CEO of Amperon. They explore how new weather models are offering better visibility for renewables and how the growing impact of data centers on electricity demand and grid planning is affecting markets, from Texas to Europe.
Key topics discussed:
• How forecasting accuracy can make or break performance during grid stress events.
• Why forecasting 'net demand' is changing how renewable generation and storage is operated and traded.
• How better forecasting is changing who wins (and loses) in power markets.
• How data access and quality varies across ERCOT, NYISO, and European TSOs.
• What rapid data center growth means for load, reliability, and energy security.
About our guest
Sean Kelly is the Co-founder and CEO of Amperon, an AI-powered forecasting company built for the energy transition. Former energy trader with 20+ years of experience, including managing power portfolios and nuclear integration at EDF. Sean started Amperon after seeing firsthand how messy and limiting energy data can be and how much better decisions could be with the right tools.
Find Sean on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-kelly-0792626/
For more information on Amperon, head to their website: https://www.amperon.co/
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.
All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.
#renewableenergy #AI #datacenter #EnergyStorage
38 min
January 27 Forecasting When the Grid Has No Margin for Error with Sean Kelly (Amperon)
The power grid is getting harder to run. There’s more wind and solar on the system, more sudden weather shocks, and less room for mistakes.
How can the energy industry move past basic demand forecasts and focus on the tougher question: what’s the grid really going to need once you account for renewables?
In this conversation, Alex is joined by Sean Kelly, CEO of Amperon. They explore how new weather models are offering better visibility for renewables and how the growing impact of data centers on electricity demand and grid planning is affecting markets, from Texas to Europe.
Key topics discussed:
• How forecasting accuracy can make or break performance during grid stress events.
• Why forecasting 'net demand' is changing how renewable generation and storage is operated and traded.
• How better forecasting is changing who wins (and loses) in power markets.
• How data access and quality varies across ERCOT, NYISO, and European TSOs.
• What rapid data center growth means for load, reliability, and energy security.
About our guest
Sean Kelly is the Co-founder and CEO of Amperon, an AI-powered forecasting company built for the energy transition. Former energy trader with 20+ years of experience, including managing power portfolios and nuclear integration at EDF. Sean started Amperon after seeing firsthand how messy and limiting energy data can be and how much better decisions could be with the right tools.
Find Sean on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-kelly-0792626/
For more information on Amperon, head to their website: https://www.amperon.co/
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.
All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.
#renewableenergy #AI #datacenter #EnergyStorage
38 min
January 22The Digital Backbone of Energy Storage Optimization with Roger Hollies (Arenko)
Batteries are no longer just shifting energy from one time of day to another - they’re becoming critical grid infrastructure. But to unlock their full potential, we need smarter ways to manage billions of data points in real time, so storage can deliver everything from peak shaving to power quality and grid support and keep them operating safely, efficiently, and optimally.
In this conversation, Ed is joined by Roger Hollies, Chief Technical Officer at Arenko. Over the conversation, they discuss how market governance needs to evolve, why it’s time to crack open the ‘black box’ of automated trading, and how ‘rules as code’ could be the key to unlocking a cleaner, cheaper energy future.
Key topics discussed:
How software can make ultra-complex battery assets manageable.
Why batteries are overtaking fossil fuels in essential grid roles like frequency response, voltage control, and inertia.
The data infrastructure required to handle seven billion datapoints a day across global energy portfolios.
How open-source, “rules as code” market design could speed up innovation.
What must regulators do to enforce fair markets and guarantee top-tier service delivery.
About our guest
Roger Hollies is the Chief Technology Officer at Arenko, where he leads the development of Arenko’s Nimbus platform, a software solution that currently manages 1.2 gigawatts of battery, solar, and wind assets across the UK and international markets. Connect with Roger on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-hollies-a0650012/
For more information on Arenko, head to their website: https://arenko.group/
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.
All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.
46 min
January 22The Digital Backbone of Energy Storage Optimization with Roger Hollies (Arenko)
Batteries are no longer just shifting energy from one time of day to another - they’re becoming critical grid infrastructure. But to unlock their full potential, we need smarter ways to manage billions of data points in real time, so storage can deliver everything from peak shaving to power quality and grid support and keep them operating safely, efficiently, and optimally.
In this conversation, Ed is joined by Roger Hollies, Chief Technical Officer at Arenko. Over the conversation, they discuss how market governance needs to evolve, why it’s time to crack open the ‘black box’ of automated trading, and how ‘rules as code’ could be the key to unlocking a cleaner, cheaper energy future.
Key topics discussed:
How software can make ultra-complex battery assets manageable.
Why batteries are overtaking fossil fuels in essential grid roles like frequency response, voltage control, and inertia.
The data infrastructure required to handle seven billion datapoints a day across global energy portfolios.
How open-source, “rules as code” market design could speed up innovation.
What must regulators do to enforce fair markets and guarantee top-tier service delivery.
About our guest
Roger Hollies is the Chief Technology Officer at Arenko, where he leads the development of Arenko’s Nimbus platform, a software solution that currently manages 1.2 gigawatts of battery, solar, and wind assets across the UK and international markets. Connect with Roger on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-hollies-a0650012/
For more information on Arenko, head to their website: https://arenko.group/
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.
All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.
46 min
January 20How America’s AI Demand Boom is Being Powered with Peter Sawicki (Mitsubishi Power Americas)
The AI boom has led to unprecedented demand for data centers in the US. With interconnection queues stretching for years, hyperscalers can no longer wait for traditional grid capacity to catch up.
In this episode, Alex speaks with Peter Sawicki - Vice President of Business Development of Emerging Technologies at Mitsubishi Power Americas. They explore how the industry is pivoting to "bring your own power" solutions to bridge the gap. They discuss how manufacturers are pairing trailer-mounted gas turbines with battery storage to deliver the critical reliability that data centers require, along with the evolving role of gas in the transition, the technical reality of hydrogen-ready infrastructure, and why the immediate priority has shifted from decarbonization to pure deliverability.
Key topics discussed
Why unprecedented load growth from AI and domestic offshoring has caught the power industry by surprise.
How developers are bypassing long interconnection queues.
Why pairing gas generation with battery storage is essential for managing the millisecond demand surges of large language models.
What ‘hydrogen-ready’ actually mean for turbine technology and the future of long-duration seasonal storage.
How the industry’s priority stack fundamentally shifted from long-term decarbonization goals to immediate speed to power.
About our guest.
Peter Sawicki is the leader of the Emerging Technologies group at Mitsubishi Power, a division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. A veteran of the power industry with 30 years of experience, Peter has spent the last 11 years at Mitsubishi. In his current role, Peter focuses on business development for "non-conventional" customers, specifically targeting hyperscalers, co-locators, and land developers navigating the massive data center build-out driven by the AI boom. You can find Peter on LinkedIn here
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.
All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.
32 min
January 20How America’s AI Demand Boom is Being Powered with Peter Sawicki (Mitsubishi Power Americas)
The AI boom has led to unprecedented demand for data centers in the US. With interconnection queues stretching for years, hyperscalers can no longer wait for traditional grid capacity to catch up.
In this episode, Alex speaks with Peter Sawicki - Vice President of Business Development of Emerging Technologies at Mitsubishi Power Americas. They explore how the industry is pivoting to "bring your own power" solutions to bridge the gap. They discuss how manufacturers are pairing trailer-mounted gas turbines with battery storage to deliver the critical reliability that data centers require, along with the evolving role of gas in the transition, the technical reality of hydrogen-ready infrastructure, and why the immediate priority has shifted from decarbonization to pure deliverability.
Key topics discussed
Why unprecedented load growth from AI and domestic offshoring has caught the power industry by surprise.
How developers are bypassing long interconnection queues.
Why pairing gas generation with battery storage is essential for managing the millisecond demand surges of large language models.
What ‘hydrogen-ready’ actually mean for turbine technology and the future of long-duration seasonal storage.
How the industry’s priority stack fundamentally shifted from long-term decarbonization goals to immediate speed to power.
About our guest.
Peter Sawicki is the leader of the Emerging Technologies group at Mitsubishi Power, a division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. A veteran of the power industry with 30 years of experience, Peter has spent the last 11 years at Mitsubishi. In his current role, Peter focuses on business development for "non-conventional" customers, specifically targeting hyperscalers, co-locators, and land developers navigating the massive data center build-out driven by the AI boom. You can find Peter on LinkedIn here
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.
All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.
32 min
January 15 The art of origination: Offtake and risk in GB’s energy market with Josh Brown (SSE)
Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?
Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.
https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatch
Navigating the energy transition requires more than just building assets; it requires a deep understanding of how to price risk in a market that is fundamentally cannibalising itself as it grows.
The transition to a renewables dominated energy system requires expert commercial strategy, especially in the volatile realm of battery storage and renewable certificate. Ed Porter is joined by Josh Brown - Operations Team Manager at SSE plc to explore what the front office operations of a major utility look like in practice and what navigating market saturation in batteries and the management of third-party assets using financing tools like tolls and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
Key topics covered:
•How utility origination teams manage the commercial complexity of battery assets in a fundamentally "self-cannibalizing" market?
•What internal process are required to negotiate and approve complex, high-risk contracts such as tolls.
• Is the energy sector prepared for the disruptive market shift from annual REGO matching to a 24/7 hourly certification system?
• How commercial teams are structuring PPAs between developers and offtakers.
• Whether Contracts for Difference (CFD) rules are creating significant exposure for large offtakers.
About our guest
Josh Brown is the Origination Team Manager at SSE, working within the Energy Markets division, managing market-facing power and gas positions for both SSE’s own extensive asset base and third-party clients. He specialises in navigating the complexities of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for solar, wind, and hydro, alongside structured battery optimisation products and the management of green certificate trading (including REGOs and ROCs) for the entire group. Connect with Josh here https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-brown-4a8b0336/?originalSubdomain=uk
SSE is a leading clean energy utility with a major presence across Great Britain and Ireland. The group is active across the entire energy value chain, including renewable and thermal generation, electricity networks, and supply. SSE has contracted over 2 GW of batteries and 3 GW of CfD-backed assets in the last two years alone for more information, head to their website. https://www.sse.com/
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.
All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.
51 min
January 15 The art of origination: Offtake and risk in GB’s energy market with Josh Brown (SSE)
Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?
Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.
https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatch
Navigating the energy transition requires more than just building assets; it requires a deep understanding of how to price risk in a market that is fundamentally cannibalising itself as it grows.
The transition to a renewables dominated energy system requires expert commercial strategy, especially in the volatile realm of battery storage and renewable certificate. Ed Porter is joined by Josh Brown - Operations Team Manager at SSE plc to explore what the front office operations of a major utility look like in practice and what navigating market saturation in batteries and the management of third-party assets using financing tools like tolls and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).
Key topics covered:
•How utility origination teams manage the commercial complexity of battery assets in a fundamentally "self-cannibalizing" market?
•What internal process are required to negotiate and approve complex, high-risk contracts such as tolls.
• Is the energy sector prepared for the disruptive market shift from annual REGO matching to a 24/7 hourly certification system?
• How commercial teams are structuring PPAs between developers and offtakers.
• Whether Contracts for Difference (CFD) rules are creating significant exposure for large offtakers.
About our guest
Josh Brown is the Origination Team Manager at SSE, working within the Energy Markets division, managing market-facing power and gas positions for both SSE’s own extensive asset base and third-party clients. He specialises in navigating the complexities of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for solar, wind, and hydro, alongside structured battery optimisation products and the management of green certificate trading (including REGOs and ROCs) for the entire group. Connect with Josh here https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-brown-4a8b0336/?originalSubdomain=uk
SSE is a leading clean energy utility with a major presence across Great Britain and Ireland. The group is active across the entire energy value chain, including renewable and thermal generation, electricity networks, and supply. SSE has contracted over 2 GW of batteries and 3 GW of CfD-backed assets in the last two years alone for more information, head to their website. https://www.sse.com/
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.
All episodes of Transmission are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To stay up to date with our analysis, research, data visualisations, live events, and conversations, follow us on LinkedIn. Explore The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series explaining how power markets work.
51 min

About Transmission

From the publisher's feed

Transmission is the podcast for energy professionals navigating the global shift to a low-carbon power system. Hosted by Ed Porter, Transmission goes deep on battery storage markets, power market dynamics, and the commercial forces shaping the energy transition - with the people at the centre of it.

Every week, we sit down with the CEOs, heads of trading desks, government advisors, policy architects, and leading practitioners driving change across the industry.

These are practitioner conversations - focused on how markets actually work, where the real opportunities and risks lie, and what the data is telling us.

We cover clean energy investing, capacity markets, balancing mechanism participation, and the evolving regulatory environment that shapes returns across geographies. Our coverage spans Great Britain, Germany, Spain, and the broader European energy transition, with regular episodes dedicated to the specific dynamics of each market.

Transmission tracks the inflection points that matter: when markets shift, where capital is flowing, and what experienced operators are doing next.

We also cover power markets more broadly - interconnectors, flexibility markets, grid infrastructure, and the trading strategies that sophisticated players use to extract value in increasingly complex systems.

Who listens: Transmission is built for people who work in energy - analysts, investors, developers, traders, asset managers, and policy professionals at every stage of their careers.

If you're entering the industry or building your understanding of how battery storage and power markets actually work, Transmission is one of the fastest ways to get up to speed - directly from the people shaping them.

About Modo Energy: Transmission is produced by Modo Energy, a B2B SaaS platform that helps renewable energy companies, funds, utilities, and banks manage and value their energy assets. Specializing in batteries and provides data, analytics, and forecasting to help customers understand the financial performance of their energy assets.

The Modo Energy Terminal is the one-stop shop for teams trying to understand the commercial case for grid-scale battery energy storage - bringing together trusted indices, customizable benchmarks, independent revenue forecasts, in-depth written analysis, and much more.

Guided by the principles of transparency and usability, Modo Energy’s Terminal provides owners, operators, developers and financiers with a complete view of the landscape for storage - past, present, and future - so that users can make informed, bankable decisions about their assets.

Hundreds of organizations rely on Modo’s tools and insights to navigate market trends, optimize investment strategies, and stay ahead of industry shifts. As the storage space continues to evolve, Modo is leading the way - helping businesses unlock the full value of their assets and make smarter decisions in a net-zero future.

Follow Transmission to get new episodes every Tuesday.

If you find the show valuable, leaving a rating takes 30 seconds and makes a real difference in helping other energy professionals find us.