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
325 episodes
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
Does the EU energy transition need China?
It’s been 10 years since the Paris Climate Agreement entered intro force. Yet, tariffs, trade wars, and the reversal of the US’s climate policies are putting the global energy transition at risk. Where does this leave the rel...
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Season 7
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Episode 31
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34:12
SUMMER SPECIAL Episode 5: President of the Council of European Energy Regulators
This is the fifth episode of Plugged In’s five-part CEO summer series, where Richard interviews prominent leaders in Europe’s energy sector. In this final special episode, Richard speaks to Dr Annegret Groebel, President of the Coun...
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Season 7
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Episode 30
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24:31
SUMMER SPECIAL Episode 4: CEO of Rystad Energy
This is the fourth episode of Plugged In’s five-part CEO summer series, where Richard interviews prominent leaders in Europe’s energy sector. In this episode, Richard sits down with Jarand Rystad, CEO and Founder of energy research ...
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Season 7
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Episode 29
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29:52
SUMMER SPECIAL Episode 3: CEO of Fingrid
This is the third episode of Plugged In’s five-part CEO summer series, where Richard interviews prominent leaders in Europe’s energy sector. In this episode, Richard speaks to Asta Sihvonen-Punkka, CEO of Finnish TSO, Fingrid. ...
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Season 7
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Episode 28
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28:10
SUMMER SPECIAL Episode 2: CEO of Eon
This is the second episode of Plugged In’s five-part CEO summer series, where Richard interviews prominent leaders in Europe’s energy sector. In this episode, Richard interviews Leonhard Birnbaum, CEO of Eon, about Europe’s power ma...
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Season 7
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Episode 27
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26:53
SUMMER SPECIAL Episode 1: CEO of Energy UK
This is the first episode of Plugged In’s five-part CEO summer series, where Richard interviews prominent leaders in Europe’s energy sector. In this episode, Richard speaks to Dhara Vyas, CEO of Energy UK about the state of the UK’s...
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Season 7
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Episode 26
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25:24
The data centre boom
The US, China, and now Europe are seeing a surge in data centres as big tech firms and other businesses develop their AI models. But, will these data centres cause the dramatic rise in power consumption that many are predicting? In ...
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Season 7
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Episode 25
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34:10
Will Iran close the Strait of Hormuz?
This week, LNG prices rose to a 10-week high in Europe in response to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. With the shadow of a threat from Iran to close its vital waterway for global LNG shipments, in this episode, we discu...
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Season 7
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Episode 24
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25:29
Sticky Nordic negative prices, will Finland retain top spot?
Since spring 2025, power prices in the Nordics have been below zero, thanks to a myriad of factors, including low power demand and a glut of green power production. Whilst this has been good news for some consumers in the region - w...
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Season 7
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Episode 23
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32:13
Offshore wind: Navigating the storm
In May, Danish energy producer, Orsted, pulled out of the UK’s Hornsea 4 project, citing "economic reasons", and earlier this week, industry leaders in The Netherlands have expressed their serious concerns about the high costs and potential del...
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Season 7
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Episode 22
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37:02
Spanish cable, French resistance
Spain and Portugal will be sending joint letters to the EU energy commissioner and French energy minister, urging them to apply pressure on the current plans for interconnections, following April’s blackout in the Iberian Peninsula. ...
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Season 7
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Episode 21
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32:58
Gas power games
As Europe eyes an end to Russian gas imports by 2027, fresh geopolitical tensions are reshaping energy markets once again. Could Trump’s mediation efforts result in a ceasefire in the Ukraine and could Russian gas re-enter Europe—directly or vi...
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Season 7
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Episode 20
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31:39
CBAM uncertainty hits commodity trading
In recent months, the European Commission has published what it describes as “simplified rules” of the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), but is the policy still unclear and too complicated for energy and metals traders?In this e...
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Season 7
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Episode 19
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34:22
Iberia’s blackout: a wake up call?
Since parts of Spain, Portugal, and France temporarily lost power on Monday 28th April, TSOs and policy makers across Europe have been quick to try and assess how much their own networks are at risk of a similar blackout.Whilst we await ...
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Season 7
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Episode 18
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34:25
Germany split over bidding zone division
After a long delay, European TSOs finally released their bidding zone review this week. The report was met with much backlash from Germany’s government and industry leaders strongly opposed to the proposal to split its zone into five.In ...
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Season 7
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Episode 17
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33:46
Is Norway enabling GO double counting?
Norway is the largest exporter of guarantees of origin certificates. Yet last month, the country's government published guidance for industry and union leaders that supported a localised approach, opening up the possibility for double counting ...
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Season 7
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Episode 16
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31:51
Tariffs, trade wars and “drill, baby, drill”
Oil and gas prices plummeted in the immediate aftermath of the trade war between the US and China.With many expecting oil and gas prices to continue to decline as a result of Trump's tariffs, the trade war raises raises fundamental quest...
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Season 7
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Episode 15
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33:36
Green transition fears amid tariff turmoil
This week, Trump's staggering tariffs on Asia and Europe caused turmoil in global equity and energy markets - as they took effect and were paused - raising many concerns within the energy sector about prices, trade flows, and the future of rene...
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Season 7
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Episode 14
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22:35
German regulator talks gas storage, price zone split
In this week's episode, the president of the federal network agency discusses the critical issues facing Germany's energy market as the country waits for the new government to take the reins.How will Germany - and Europe - fill gas stora...
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Season 7
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Episode 13
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33:16
Heathrow's power outage - a one-off?
Last Friday, one of the world's largest transport hubs came to a halt for 18 hours after a fire broke out at one of its substations in North Hyde.Since the incident, National Grid's CEO responded to accusations that Heathrow bosses were...
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Season 7
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Episode 12
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24:49
Nuclear’s latest comeback: is it permanent?
Over the past year, many countries in Europe and beyond have announced plans to expand their nuclear programmes or build new reactors.As the pressure mounts for countries to start delivering on their decarbonisation goals and have a tigh...
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Season 7
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Episode 11
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31:08
Navigating regulatory and geopolitical complexity
In this week’s episode we discuss how unprecedented global risks — from escalating trade tensions and hybrid warfare to rising populism — are reshaping Europe's energy markets. Statkraft's CEO Birgitte Ringstad Vartdal shares insights into the ...
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Season 7
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Episode 10
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23:38
