Plugged In: the energy news podcast

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 President, Nicolás Maduro. Meanwhile, Denmark has replied to US threats to annex Greenland, and Russia continues to target Ukraine's power infrastructure, despite ongoing ceasefire talks. In the first official episode of the new Plugged In podcast season, Richard sits down with Montel's Chief Analyst Tobias Federico to discuss the events that are already shaping the geopolitical landscape in 2026, as well as the significance of Berlin's power outage that affected 50,000 homes during the first weekend in January.  Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel NewsGuest: Tobias Federico - Chief Analyst, MontelEditor: Oscar BirkProducer: Sarah KnowlesSubscribe to the podcast on our website, via Apple Podcasts or Spotify

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's Editors from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Nordics, and the UK to review the key events from 2025, and discuss the headlines predicted to affect Europe's energy sector in 2026. Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel NewsGuests: Christopher Eales - France Editor, Montel NewsPablo Bronte - Iberian Editor, Montel NewsAndreas Lochner - Germany Editor, Montel NewsLaurence Walker - UK Editor, Montel NewsEnza Tedesco - Italy Editor, Montel NewsOlav Vilnes - Nordics Editor, Montel NewsEditor: Oscar BirkProducer: Sarah KnowlesSubscribe to the podcast on our website, via Apple Podcasts or Spotify

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 bio-based green chemicals from food and drink byproducts, and how these greener alternatives are already helping pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries wean off fossil fuel chemicals. Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel NewsContributor: Gabriel Power - UK Reporter, Montel NewsGuest: Mark Simmers - CEO, Celtic RenewablesEditor: Oscar BirkProducer: Sarah KnowlesSubscribe to the podcast on our website, via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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?In this episode, Richard sits down with the EU´s top energy official in the heart of the European Commission to discuss the details of his grids package released earlier this week, his stance on the future of Russian gas supplies, and how he is trying to work with member states who oppose the ban.  Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel NewsContributor: Fatima Sadouki - Brussel's Reporter, Montel NewsGuest: Dan Jorgensen - European Commissioner for EnergyEditor: Oscar BirkProducer: Sarah Knowles

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 of LNG capacity from the US and Qatar expected to come online from next year - could prices drop as low as USD 7/MMbtu?  In this episode, Richard sits down with LNG analysts and geopolitical experts to discuss how Asia could see a strong demand rebound in the next few years, why Germany's declining industrial gas consumption puts downward pressure on long-term demand into Europe. But there is a note of caution as structural challenges in the US LNG construction industry are likely to  cause supply delays.  Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel NewsContributor: Laurence Walker - Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Montel NewsGuests: Henning Gloystein - Managing Director of Energy and Resources, Eurasia Group. Saul Kavonic - Head of Energy Research, MST Financial.Editor: Oscar BirkProducer: Sarah Knowles