Transmission

By Ed Porter, Modo EnergyBusiness Science Investing Physics

Transmission episodes

November 20, 2025 Is the flexibility gap holding back Europe’s energy transition?
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Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.
https://bit.ly/TheWeeklyDispatch
Renewable build-out is accelerating, driven by record levels of solar deployment and shifting system needs. But as generation scales, the system’s ability to manage volatility isn’t keeping pace. Markets across the globe are experiencing deeper price swings, more frequent negative prices, and growing operational complexity all pointing to one issue: the flexibility gap.
In this episode of Transmission, Dario Hernandez, Head of Energy Storage at NextEnergy Capital, breaks down why flexibility has become the defining challenge for the energy transition.
Over the conversation, Dario explores how storage, co-located solar-plus-storage projects, and smarter market design are essential to maintaining system stability as renewable penetration rises. He explains what’s driving volatility, where markets are falling behind, and why places like Europe are entering a crucial phase that will determine the long-term resilience of its power system. The discussion unpacks how investors, operators, and policymakers can close the flexibility gap and unlock the value needed to support a high-renewables future.
Key topic covered include:
- How Europe’s rapid solar growth is outpacing the flexibility needed to stabilise the grid.
- Why market volatility is making fast-response flexibility more valuable than ever.
- How outdated market designs and regulatory frameworks are slowing investment in flexibility.
- The role battery storage will play in managing solar-driven price swings and balancing the system.
- What reform is needed to accelerate flexibility deployment and close the system gap.
About our guest:
Dario Hernandez is Head of Energy Storage at NextEnergy Capital where he focuses on power markets, flexibility, and the role of storage in supporting the energy transition.
NextEnergy Capital is a leading international investment and asset management platform specialising in solar and renewables infrastructure. Learn more on their website: https://www.nextenergycapital.com/
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.
All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
45 min
November 20, 2025 Is the flexibility gap holding back Europe’s energy transition?
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
Renewable build-out is accelerating, driven by record levels of solar deployment and shifting system needs. But as generation scales, the system’s ability to manage volatility isn’t keeping pace. Markets across the globe are experiencing deeper price swings, more frequent negative prices, and growing operational complexity all pointing to one issue: the flexibility gap.
In this episode of Transmission, Dario Hernandez, Head of Energy Storage at NextEnergy Capital, breaks down why flexibility has become the defining challenge for the energy transition.
Over the conversation, Dario explores how storage, co-located solar-plus-storage projects, and smarter market design are essential to maintaining system stability as renewable penetration rises. He explains what’s driving volatility, where markets are falling behind, and why places like Europe are entering a crucial phase that will determine the long-term resilience of its power system. The discussion unpacks how investors, operators, and policymakers can close the flexibility gap and unlock the value needed to support a high-renewables future.
Key topic covered include:
- How Europe’s rapid solar growth is outpacing the flexibility needed to stabilise the grid.
- Why market volatility is making fast-response flexibility more valuable than ever.
- How outdated market designs and regulatory frameworks are slowing investment in flexibility.
- The role battery storage will play in managing solar-driven price swings and balancing the system.
- What reform is needed to accelerate flexibility deployment and close the system gap.
About our guest:
Dario Hernandez is Head of Energy Storage at NextEnergy Capital where he focuses on power markets, flexibility, and the role of storage in supporting the energy transition.
NextEnergy Capital is a leading international investment and asset management platform specialising in solar and renewables infrastructure. Learn more on their website: https://www.nextenergycapital.com/
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.
All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
45 min
November 18, 2025 Making Great Britain’s energy transition fair for everyone with Dhara Vyas (EnergyUK)
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
For many households in the UK, the effects of the energy transition doesn’t yet feel fair, affordable, or accessible. As the UK moves towards a smarter, cleaner power system, big questions remain about who benefits, who pays, and how to ensure consumers are supported rather than left behind. The success of the transition will depend not just on technology and investment, but on designing a system that works for real people as well as for industry.
In this episode of Transmission, Dhara Vyas, CEO of EnergyUK explores what it truly means to build a people-centred energy system. Over the conversation, Dhara unpacks how policy, pricing, and consumer engagement must evolve to ensure households can participate in, and benefit from, the shift to net zero.
The discussion brings clarity to one of the transition’s biggest challenges: making the energy system work for everyone.
Key topics covered:
• Why fairness and affordability must be central to the energy transition - not an afterthought.
• How households can meaningfully participate in a smarter, low-carbon system.
• The policies and market reforms needed to protect consumers while enabling industrial investment.
• Why better communication, engagement, and trust are essential for system change.
• How to build an energy system that supports both households and industry as the UK moves toward net zero.
About our guest
Dhara Vyas is Chief Executive Officer of EnergyUK and is an experienced energy policy and consumer engagement leader focused on building a fair, affordable, and inclusive energy system. She has worked across industry, policy, and advocacy organisations to shape how the UK transitions to a low-carbon future that works for everyone. Check out https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/ for more information
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.
All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
43 min
November 18, 2025 Making Great Britain’s energy transition fair for everyone with Dhara Vyas (EnergyUK)
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
For many households in the UK, the effects of the energy transition doesn’t yet feel fair, affordable, or accessible. As the UK moves towards a smarter, cleaner power system, big questions remain about who benefits, who pays, and how to ensure consumers are supported rather than left behind. The success of the transition will depend not just on technology and investment, but on designing a system that works for real people as well as for industry.
In this episode of Transmission, Dhara Vyas, CEO of EnergyUK explores what it truly means to build a people-centred energy system. Over the conversation, Dhara unpacks how policy, pricing, and consumer engagement must evolve to ensure households can participate in, and benefit from, the shift to net zero.
The discussion brings clarity to one of the transition’s biggest challenges: making the energy system work for everyone.
Key topics covered:
• Why fairness and affordability must be central to the energy transition - not an afterthought.
• How households can meaningfully participate in a smarter, low-carbon system.
• The policies and market reforms needed to protect consumers while enabling industrial investment.
• Why better communication, engagement, and trust are essential for system change.
• How to build an energy system that supports both households and industry as the UK moves toward net zero.
About our guest
Dhara Vyas is Chief Executive Officer of EnergyUK and is an experienced energy policy and consumer engagement leader focused on building a fair, affordable, and inclusive energy system. She has worked across industry, policy, and advocacy organisations to shape how the UK transitions to a low-carbon future that works for everyone
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.
All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
43 min
November 13, 2025 How to scale a global battery portfolio - from Poland to Japan (Gore Street Capital)
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
Battery storage has moved from a niche technology to a cornerstone of modern power systems. But as the sector scales, investors face a new challenge: managing complexity across different markets, regulations, and revenue models. Building a global storage portfolio means balancing opportunity with risk and understanding how policy, pricing, and performance differ by region.
In this episode of Transmission, Alicja Kowalewska-Montfort, Principal (Technical / Energy Storage) at Gore Street Capital breaks down how investors are approaching the next phase of storage growth. Over the conversation Alicja explores how the company approaches battery investment across Gore Street’s global portfolio. She explains what makes the markets unique, how diversification supports resilience, and why operational discipline is critical to long-term value. The conversation explores how investors are turning storage from a promising technology into a bankable global asset class.
Key points covered:
• Why financing energy storage remains complex despite growing demand.
• The challenges of building and managing assets across multiple markets.
• What makes battery projects bankable in different regulatory environments.
• How policy, market reform, and merchant exposure shape investment decisions.
• What needs to change to scale storage as a core part of the power system.
About our guest:
Alicja Kowalewska-Montfort is a Principal (Technical / Energy Storage) at Gore Street Capital where she focuses on technical diligence and portfolio optimisation for grid-scale batteries. Gore Street Capital is a private equity investment manager focusing on renewable energy. For more information head to their website.
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.
All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
40 min
November 13, 2025 How to scale a global battery portfolio - from Poland to Japan (Gore Street Capital)
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
Battery storage has moved from a niche technology to a cornerstone of modern power systems. But as the sector scales, investors face a new challenge: managing complexity across different markets, regulations, and revenue models. Building a global storage portfolio means balancing opportunity with risk and understanding how policy, pricing, and performance differ by region.
In this episode of Transmission, Alicja Kowalewska-Montfort, Principal (Technical / Energy Storage) at Gore Street Capital breaks down how investors are approaching the next phase of storage growth. Over the conversation Alicja explores how the company approaches battery investment across Gore Street’s global portfolio. She explains what makes the markets unique, how diversification supports resilience, and why operational discipline is critical to long-term value. The conversation explores how investors are turning storage from a promising technology into a bankable global asset class.
Key points covered:
• Why financing energy storage remains complex despite growing demand.
• The challenges of building and managing assets across multiple markets.
• What makes battery projects bankable in different regulatory environments.
• How policy, market reform, and merchant exposure shape investment decisions.
• What needs to change to scale storage as a core part of the power system.
About our guest:
Alicja Kowalewska-Montfort is a Principal (Technical / Energy Storage) at Gore Street Capital where she focuses on technical diligence and portfolio optimisation for grid-scale batteries. Gore Street Capital is a private equity investment manager focusing on renewable energy. For more information head to their website.
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.
All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
40 min
November 11, 2025 What’s driving America’s uneven battery energy storage boom (Modo Energy)
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
From ERCOT to CAISO, MISO to PJM, regional differences are defining how clean energy assets are built, operated, and financed. Prices, policy, and technology are moving at different speeds and for developers and investors, keeping track of what matters most has never been more important.
In this episode of Transmission, Brandt Vermillion & Pete Berini break down what’s driving change across US energy markets in 2025. They explore how policy reforms, flexibility signals, and battery economics vary by region, and what this means for those building the next generation of clean energy assets. The conversation dives into the fundamentals shaping storage revenues, market volatility, and how transparency can help investors make smarter, faster decisions in an increasingly complex landscape.
Key points covered:
•Changes to federal policy and how it has impacted renewables and BESS build out.
•Trends in system durations across different markets.
•How storage economics and flexibility markets are evolving.
•Why transparency and data-driven insight matter more than ever.
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.
All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
47 min
November 11, 2025 What’s driving America’s uneven battery energy storage boom (Modo Energy)
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
From ERCOT to CAISO, MISO to PJM, regional differences are defining how clean energy assets are built, operated, and financed. Prices, policy, and technology are moving at different speeds and for developers and investors, keeping track of what matters most has never been more important.
In this episode of Transmission, Brandt Vermillion & Pete Berini break down what’s driving change across US energy markets in 2025. They explore how policy reforms, flexibility signals, and battery economics vary by region, and what this means for those building the next generation of clean energy assets. The conversation dives into the fundamentals shaping storage revenues, market volatility, and how transparency can help investors make smarter, faster decisions in an increasingly complex landscape.
Key points covered:
•Changes to federal policy and how it has impacted renewables and BESS build out.
•Trends in system durations across different markets.
•How storage economics and flexibility markets are evolving.
•Why transparency and data-driven insight matter more than ever.
About Modo Energy
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.
All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
47 min
November 06, 2025Building Britain’s biggest battery energy storage system with Lisa Mackay (Fidra Energy)
As Great Britain connects its largest battery to the grid, the spotlight isn’t just on the technology - it’s also on the execution. Delivering storage at this scale requires coordination across engineering, operations, and markets. From grid connection challenges to day-to-day performance, success depends on much more than megawatts and megawatt-hours — it’s about precision, planning, and people.
In this episode of Transmission, Lisa MacKay, Chief Operations Officer at Fidra Energy, shares what it takes to bring the UK’s biggest battery project from construction to operation. We explore the real challenges behind delivering large-scale storage - from managing contractors and timelines to optimising assets once they’re online, and what lessons this project offers for the future of flexibility and reliability in the power system.
What it takes to build and operate Great Britain’s largest battery.
The biggest challenges of scaling storage - from grid connection to commissioning.
How operational decisions impact commercial performance.
Lessons learned from running large-scale flexibility assets.
What GB’s biggest battery means for the wider energy transition.
About our guest
Lisa MacKay is the Chief Operations Officer at Fidra Energy, where she leads operations and organisational strategy across a growing renewable portfolio. With experience spanning development, trading, and leadership, she focuses on building resilient teams and scalable processes that support growth in a dynamic energy market. For more information on Fidra Energy, head to their website. https://fidraenergy.com/
About Modo Energy:
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.
All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
33 min
November 06, 2025Building Britain’s biggest battery energy storage system with Lisa Mackay (Fidra Energy)
As Great Britain connects its largest battery to the grid, the spotlight isn’t just on the technology - it’s also on the execution. Delivering storage at this scale requires coordination across engineering, operations, and markets. From grid connection challenges to day-to-day performance, success depends on much more than megawatts and megawatt-hours — it’s about precision, planning, and people.
In this episode of Transmission, Lisa MacKay, Chief Operations Officer at Fidra Energy, shares what it takes to bring the UK’s biggest battery project from construction to operation. We explore the real challenges behind delivering large-scale storage - from managing contractors and timelines to optimising assets once they’re online, and what lessons this project offers for the future of flexibility and reliability in the power system.
What it takes to build and operate Great Britain’s largest battery.
The biggest challenges of scaling storage - from grid connection to commissioning.
How operational decisions impact commercial performance.
Lessons learned from running large-scale flexibility assets.
What GB’s biggest battery means for the wider energy transition.
About our guest
Lisa MacKay is the Chief Operations Officer at Fidra Energy, where she leads operations and organisational strategy across a growing renewable portfolio. With experience spanning development, trading, and leadership, she focuses on building resilient teams and scalable processes that support growth in a dynamic energy market. For more information on Fidra Energy, head to their website. https://fidraenergy.com/
About Modo Energy:
Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.
All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.
33 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.