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
308 episodes
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 ...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 17
•
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 ...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 16
•
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 15
•
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 14
•
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 13
•
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 12
•
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...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 11
•
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 ...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 10
•
23:38
EU energy security amid “seismic” global shifts
This week we explore the growing energy security challenges facing Europe amid a “seismic” shift in the global geopolitical order. In light of this, we discuss plans by the European Commission to support industry and keep energy affordable. Wil...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 9
•
28:22
Berlin's power shift
As Germany’s Christian Democrat alliance (CDU/CSU) is in talks about forming a new government with the Social Democrats, this week’s episode discusses the country’s role in the new global order. It comes against a backdrop where US president Do...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 8
•
31:15
Energy, recovery & Germany’s next move
It was Europe’s biggest importer of Russian gas prior to the Ukraine invasion but Russia’s cutting of gas supplies to Europe pushed Uniper to the brink of collapse.It was nationalised in one of the biggest corporate bailouts in German hi...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 7
•
30:23
Rising populism and energy markets
Europe’s energy sector is caught in the crossfire of rising populism. With elections approaching in Norway and Germany, governments are under pressure to prioritize short-term price stability over long-term market efficiency. Norway’s decision ...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 6
•
45:40
Regulating the unpredictable
The UK has announced hugely ambitious plans - clean power by 2030. This will involve a massive roll-out of wind, onshore and offshore, solar as well as an expansion of grids and storage. A challenge, certainly. But not impossible, according to ...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 5
•
38:02
Norway’s energy crisis, AI and the looming supply squeeze
Norway’s energy sector is at the centre of a dramatic political storm. With an election looming in September, Finance minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum pulled his Centre Party out of the government, warning of greater dependence on what he calls ...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 4
•
27:03
Trump 2.0 pivots to gas
In his first hours back in office, US president Donald Trump issued a series of sweeping executive orders designed to prioritise fossil fuels, dismantle environmental policies and expand American energy dominance. From withdrawing from the Pari...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 3
•
32:49
Hybrid energy war in the Baltic
The recent damage to the Estlink 2 electricity cable running between Finland and Estonia has highlighted the precarious nature of power supply amid increased fears of a hybrid war with Russia.Finnish police are investigating whether a sh...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 2
•
32:20
Elections and Energy – Germany's path forward
Germany’s energy sector is at a pivotal moment, with political shifts, economic challenges, and the energy transition shaping its future. This week on the Montel Weekly Podcast, Katharina Johannsen, Montel’s Berlin reporter, and Tobias Federico...
•
Season 7
•
Episode 1
•
33:39
End of year roundup, 2025 outlook
2024 was a year of seismic shifts in the energy sector, marked by challenges, breakthroughs, and critical debates. From Italy’s energy transition hurdles to Germany’s hydrogen shake-ups and the UK’s evolving gas market, we’ve seen how global ev...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 48
•
40:06
Gas: Will fundamentals Trump geopolitics?
2025 is set to be a year of continuing geopolitical turmoil. Donald Trump’s return to the White House will raise the temperature further at a time of major instability in the Middle East along with Russia-Ukraine.Questions remain over wh...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 47
•
36:05
Poland’s Energy Crossroads
Poland’s energy sector is undergoing a critical, if slow, transition after the election of Donald Tusk as prime minister exactly one year ago. Coal still dominates the mix despite a greater use of gas and a growth in renewables. Grid modernisat...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 46
•
41:47
Atomic revival: A new age for nuclear?
This week, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change released a report declaring, “a new nuclear age is beginning,” arguing that nuclear power is critical in meeting global climate goals. But how is this renaissance different from earlier proc...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 45
•
36:57
Flow-based market coupling – what's all the fuss about?
In October, the Nordic power market introduced a new calculation method for cross-zonal capacity to improve Nordic grid utilisation. However, so-called flow-based market coupling, in place for almost a decade in continental Europe, has received...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 44
•
27:52
COP, climate policy and EU carbon
Global leaders at COP29 were under a huge amount of pressure going into talks this week following the UN Secretary General public voicing his concerns over the state of negotiations. Criticisms of this year’s talks and...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 43
•
34:59
Criticism mounts as Sweden axes 32 GW offshore wind
At the start of November, the Swedish government announced that it was vetoing plans for 13 offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea due to security concerns. The announcement was met with much criticism from developers and lobby groups who felt b...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 42
•
31:52
Trump re-elected, Berlin coalition fails: Energy impact
It has been a big week for global politics.On the same day that the United States voted Donald Trump as their 47th President, the German coalition government broke down after a budget row over cutting energy costs to companies a...
•
Season 6
•
Episode 41
•
37:16
