Plugged In: the energy news podcast
Coming from the heart of the Montel newsroom, Editor-in-Chief, Snjolfur Richard Sverrisson and his team of journalists explore the news headlines in the energy sector, bringing you in depth analysis of the industry’s leading stories each week.
Richard speaks to experts, analysts, regulators, and senior business leaders to the examine not just the what, but the why behind the decisions directing the markets and shaping the global transition to a green economy.
New episodes are available every Friday.
Episodes
347 episodes
Norway's looming "supply squeeze"
Norway is normally an exporter of electricity to its neighbours , but experts are sounding alarm bells. They warn that the increase in demand from electrification and data centres will eclipse the country's abundant power supply. Has Norway now...
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Season 8
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Episode 5
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27:45
Rewiring Europe - will offshore wind be a "winner"?
Ten European countries in Europe came together in Hamburg earlier this week to sign a commitment to deliver 100GW of offshore wind in the North Sea - a move the German energy minister labelled as "a historic moment for Europe." After a year of ...
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Season 8
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Episode 4
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41:20
The Greenland play
This week, US President Donald Trump confirmed his plans to annex Greenland, threatening European members of NATO with higher tariffs if they try to stand in his way. Despite European leaders expressing messages of defiance and reta...
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Season 8
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Episode 3
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38:14
Iceland geothermal: Engineering calm in a volcanic storm
In this week's episode, we take a trip to the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland to visit the Svartsengi power Station. Located only several hundred metres from several active volcanoes, the 85 MW geothermal plant has withstood 12 eruptions over th...
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Season 8
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Episode 2
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30:59
The 'Donroe doctrine' and the new world order
One week into the new year, and President Trump is continuing his mission to tear up the prevailing international order, creating further incertainty for global oil and gas markets following his attack on Venezuela and the arrest of its Preside...
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Season 8
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Episode 1
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32:47
A new year for Europe's energy sector
Negative power prices, geopolitical tension, energy policy, batteries and strengthening the grid - what's in store for Europe's energy markets in 2026? In our first episode of the new year, Richard sits down with Montel...
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Season 7
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Episode 51
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40:39
Drink whisky, help save the planet - fuelling the energy transition
How could our Christmas leftovers, such as rejected potatoes and 'pottail' from whisky distilleries, fuel the energy transition? In our final episode for 2025, Richard sits down with a company in Scotland to discuss how they produce...
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Season 7
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Episode 50
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23:08
Russian gas? “No, never again” says EU Energy Commissioner
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?
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Season 7
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Episode 49
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28:22
Looming LNG oversupply: what will drive gas prices in 2026?
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 o...
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Season 7
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Episode 48
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35:35
Good COP, bad COP
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...
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Season 7
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Episode 47
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30:28
Germany's industry power price: hit or miss?
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 powe...
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Season 7
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Episode 46
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28:14
Should we talk about cheap power?
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...
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Season 7
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Episode 45
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33:01
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Will GHG Protocol changes affect the GO market?
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 t...
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Season 7
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Episode 44
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34:30
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Powering ahead: Could Europe's EVs use 100 TWh by 2030?
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....
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Season 7
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Episode 43
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33:24
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A "frosty" winter for gas prices?
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 wi...
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Season 7
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Episode 42
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30:01
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Will standardised PPAs revive a stagnating market?
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 th...
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Season 7
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Episode 41
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28:06
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Spain’s grid in "safe mode": Lessons from the blackout
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...
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Season 7
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Episode 40
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31:59
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Complex and volatile - 15-minute power auctions start
The new 15-minute day-ahead auctions went live this week, marking one of the most significant changes in the European power market to date.In this episode - recorded 48 hours after the first auction - Richard reviews the launch with seni...
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Season 7
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Episode 39
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28:05
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SMRs and AI: Powering Europe's energy security?
Last week, the UK Prime Minister was the latest leader in Europe to announce his commitment to nuclear energy production by announcing plans to build "a fleet" of small modular reactors (SMRs). The UK's announcement followed similar plans elsew...
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Season 7
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Episode 38
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31:57
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Could EU carbon prices hit EUR 90/t by year-end?
Earlier this week, Europe’s benchmark carbon price climbed by over 1 EUR to reach a seven-month high. Could it continue to rise? As companies across the EU rush to meet the EU ETS deadline on the 30th September, investment funds’ i...
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Season 7
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Episode 37
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25:15
Is the EU failing its heavy industry?
The US-EU USD 750bn energy deal announced at the end of July left many observers scratching their heads, not least because of the eye watering sums involved. However, European heavy industry, steel and aluminium in particular, were left facing ...
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Season 7
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Episode 36
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31:20
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A Nordic balancing act
In March 2025, the balancing price in all of the Swedish price zones crashed to the technical floor of EUR -10,000/MWh - setting off a trend of volatile prices and turbulent balancing markets in the Nordics.Six months on, small producers...
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Season 7
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Episode 35
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35:56
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Nordic power market at a crossroads
Volatile prices, falling liquidity and declining profitability are some of the many headwinds the Nordic power market faces in the months ahead.In addition, could political meddling create more damage to the highly complex and problemati...
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Season 7
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Episode 34
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30:39
The real costs of curtailing renewables
According to a recent report from Montel Analytics, the UK and Ireland curtailed GBP 152m of renewable energy in the first half of 2025.Is this counter productive to the UK’s green and clean energy goals? Who foots the bill? Is the lack ...
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Season 7
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Episode 33
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30:21
Heatwave raises red flags for power market
Temperatures reached 40C across Europe this week in the latest of several heatwaves which have engulfed the continent this summer. In response, power prices soared in many regions, with countries like France curbing nuclear power p...
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Season 7
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Episode 32
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35:05
