The US-Israeli led war in Iran and the prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is once again exposing Europe’s vulnerability to global energy shocks; raising urgent questions about gas storage, LNG dependency and whether governments have learned anything from previous crises. In this episode of PluggedIn, Montel’s Richard speaks with Henning Gloystein from Eurasia Group and Saul Kavonic from MST Marquee about the escalating conflict and growing risks facing energy markets and global supp...
May 21
48 min
Negative power prices are becoming increasingly commonplace in Europe’s electricity markets. With solar generation soaring and renewable buildout accelerating, Europe’s power systems are increasingly producing more electricity than consumers need during certain hours of the day. The result? Wholesale electricity prices falling below zero, with generators effectively paying the market to take their power. But are negative prices actually a problem — or a sign that the energy trans...
May 14
37 min
Norway - and the Nordic power system more generally - have seen fewer instances of negative prices than their continental counterparts in recent weeks. Why has the region been “snorkelling” while others have been plumbing the depths of negative prices. Norway’s hydropower system is under pressure after one of the coldest winters in 16 years and a prolonged period of low precipitation. Reservoir levels in southern Norway remain well below normal, raising questions about energy security, winte...
May 7
34 min
Europe may have emerged from winter without a full-scale gas crisis; but with storage levels unusually low, geopolitical tensions rising, and summer-winter price spreads offering little commercial incentive, the real challenge may only just be beginning. Germany, home to Europe's largest gas storage capacity, is facing mounting pressure to refill ahead of winter while the war in the Middle East, uncertainty around LNG transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and fragile industrial demand all clo...
Apr 30
31 min
From the streets of Paris to the heart of Europe’s energy regulation, this episode explores how geopolitics, market design and infrastructure are reshaping France’s - and the continent’s - energy future. As tensions in the Gulf ripple through global gas prices and Europe’s energy markets, France finds itself in a uniquely resilient position, buoyed by nuclear power, growing renewables and strong export capacity. But beneath that stability lie complex questions about pricing, inter...
Apr 23
36 min
Across Europe, power prices are behaving in ways that are leaving even seasoned market participants questioning what they’re seeing. From negative prices to seemingly counterintuitive flows between some price zones, the electricity system is becoming harder to interpret, and certainly more complex. On April 6, negative prices of EUR -15,000/MWh in Belgium's balancing market highlighted just how volatile and weather-driven Europe's power system has become. But are these signals a sign of dysfu...
Apr 16
37 min
A fragile ceasefire in the Gulf offers a moment of relief; but is it already beginning to unravel and will it have lasting implications for gas supply in the region and far beyond? Recorded on the morning of April 9, amid fast-moving geopolitical developments, this special episode examines what the latest developments mean for global energy markets, LNG flows, and Europe’s energy security. Is this ceasefire a genuine turning point, or simply a pause before further escalation? Host...
Apr 9
33 min
In this episode of Plugged In, we return to Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and their role in Europe’s energy transition. After years of rapid expansion, the PPA market hit a slowdown in 2025. Falling capture rates, rising negative prices and increasing volatility have made deals harder to structure and price, forcing both buyers and sellers to rethink how risk is shared. At the same time, renewable capacity continues to grow, reshaping price dynamics and pushing the market into a more compl...
Apr 9
42 min
In this episode of Plugged In, we turn to a topic we haven’t covered often; but one that’s rapidly moving back into the spotlight: coal. As war in the Middle East disrupts LNG supply chains and drives gas prices sharply higher, European power markets are being forced to adapt. With gas-fired generation becoming increasingly expensive, coal is, at least temporarily, regaining economic relevance. We’re now seeing early signs of increased coal imports, particularly in key markets like Germany, a...
Apr 2
31 min
In the third episode of our energy crisis miniseries, we turn to Europe’s power markets, where rising gas prices, renewed volatility and political uncertainty are once again putting the electricity system under pressure. Although the current crisis is not a repeat of 2022, it is exposing fresh vulnerabilities; from low hydro levels in the Nordics and gas storage concerns in western Europe, to growing questions over market design, interconnectors and the pace of the energy transition. So how r...
Mar 26
44 min
Load more