Upcoming live podcasts

*Today at 4pm BST* with Laura Sandys, CEO of Challenging Ideas // *Next week* Clark Williams-Derry @ IEEFA

The Energy Flux live podcast returns today @ 4pm BST with an exclusive interview and listener Q&A with Laura Sandys CBE, CEO of consultancy Challenging Ideas. Sandys co-authored the Recosting Energy report in 2019, which made a compelling case for root-and-branch reform of energy market incentives to deliver net zero cost-effectively. With wholesale energy costs soaring, the report is more relevant today than ever. Here’s a snippet from the intro (download the PDF here):

“The energy system has reached a crucial crossroads… do we continue trying to squeeze a new system, with different characteristics and new potential, into our old fossil fuel market design? Or do we recognise that decarbonisation offers us significant advantages over the old system and change how we design, shape and regulate the sector going forward to capture these opportunities?”

Sandys is an ex-MP with an extensive CV in energy matters. She chairs the UK government's Energy Digitalisation Taskforce and the Energy System Data Taskforce within the Energy Systems Catapult. Sandys is also non-executive director at gas distribution network operator SGN, and is an advocate of demand reduction policies to deliver a low carbon economy.

The broad topic for the podcast is: ‘Energy markets are broken. Can they be fixed?’ Tune in today at 4pm BST / 11am ET / 8am PT for what promises to be a fascinating conversation about market design and structural solutions to today’s pressing UK/European energy problems. Here’s the link to the Callin room:

Premium members will receive a post-show write-up of the podcast replete with links to the full recording and hand-picked audio highlights. Need access? Sign up here:

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Next week, I will be live in conversation with Clark Williams-Derry, energy finance analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). Clark served for 18 years as director of energy finance and research director for the Sightline Institute, a multi-issue sustainability think-tank based in Seattle, where his research focused on US and global energy markets. He was also a senior analyst for American advocacy non-profit Environmental Working Group.

Regular readers will be aware of the IEEFA’s proprietary brand of energy and climate economic analysis. Clark authored a recent IEEFA piece on spare contractual capacity at US LNG export plants, which I flagged in last week’s Easter Energy Reading post. We have pencilled in next Wednesday 27th April @ 4pm BST / 11am ET / 8am PT for our live conversation – I will send out the Callin room link nearer the time.

Thanks for lending me your ears. Why not lend me your thoughts too? Join the debate and call in to one of the live shows via the Callin app.

Seb