Talking energy...The UKERC Podcast (The UK Energy Research Centre)

In this podcast, Matt Hinde, Head of European Affairs at National Grid, joins Antony Froggatt and Caroline Kuzemko to discuss the UK and EU energy relationship in the context of the current energy crisis. The episode was recorded in November and looks at how the UK and EU are trying to phase down gas use, energy interconnectors, the deployment of renewables, and the importance of trade and cooperation. 

Guest biographies: 

Matt Hinde is Head of European Affairs at National Grid and is also a Board Member at the British Chamber of Commerce - EU and Belgium. 

Antony Froggatt is an energy policy consultant and a senior research fellow at Chatham House, and a senior researcher in the UKERC 'Energy in a Global' Context theme. 

Caroline Kuzemko is an Associate Professor in the University of Warwick’s Politics and International Studies department. She is Deputy Leader of the research theme ‘Energy in a Global Context’, and PI of the ‘Beyond Brexit: UK Zero Carbon Energy Policy’ project.

To coincide with our call for projects for our Whole Systems Networking Fund, this podcast explores the experiences of two previous awardees. In it, they talk about their projects and the impact the funding has had on their careers, and provide advice for potential applicants.

In this podcast, UKERC's Engagement Officer, Amber Sawyer speaks with Dr. Gbemi Oluleye who is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Environmental Policy in the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial College London and Dr. Inna Vorushylo, a Lecturer in Energy Markets and Energy Storage at Belfast University.

To find out more about the Whole Systems Networking Fund click here.

To find out more about Gbemi's project click here.

To find out more about Inna's project click here.

In this episode of our podcast ‘Talking Energy’, UKERC Director, Professor Rob Gross,  is joined by Dhara Vyas deputy director at Energy UK and Dr Richard Lowes, senior associate at the Regulatory Assistance Project.

In the context of rising energy bills and net zero targets, ‘Taking stock of heat and buildings policy’ focuses on the challenge of decarbonising heat. It considers the impact of the current energy crisis, explores the 2021 Heat and Buildings Strategy, and asks what is needed to kick-start the heat transition?

In the second instalment of our new ‘Talking Energy’ podcast, Dr. Steve Carver from the University of Leeds joins Jessica Bays, UKERC’s Head of Communications and Policy to discuss green on green impacts, with a focus on onshore wind.

In the latest episode of the Talking Energy podcast, UKERC Director Robert Gross is joined by Chief Economist of the National Energy Systems Operator (NESO) Mike Thompson. Following the publication of NESO’s advice to Government on achieving Clean Power by 2030, Rob and Mike dive into the reports findings, analysing the challenges that the UK faces in achieving this ambitious goal, and also discuss the new role NESO has as a publicly owned organisation.

In this episode released to coincide with Transport Day at COP26, we focus on the challenges and opportunities presented by decarbonising transport.

Claire Spooner, Head of Decarbonising Transport at EPSRC guest hosts and is joined by UKERC Co-Directors Prof. Jillian Anable, University of Leeds and Prof. Christian Brand, University of Oxford. To cover topics such as the impacts of COVID on transport, the ICE phase out date, active travel, international car ownership and what we can hope for from COP26.

In this episode of our podcast ‘Talking Energy’, UKERC Director, Professor Rob Gross,  is joined by Dr Doug Parr, Chief Scientist and Policy Director at Greenpeace and Simon Sharp, Deputy Director of the UK Government COP Unit.

Ahead of COP26 which starts next week, this episode focuses on what the UK Government is trying to achieve and what we might hope for from COP26. Touching on topics including the Presidency Themes, international collaboration, the technology race and trust it delves into.

In this episode UKERC Director Rob Gross is joined by Joanne Wade and Charles Hendry to explore the implications of the current energy crisis. They touch on a number of topics including the energy price freeze, the lack of a public energy efficiency campaign and the importance of international collaboration.

Guest biographies:

Charles Hendry was Minister of State for Energy from 2010 to 2012, prior to which he was the Conservative Party’s spokesperson on energy issues from 2005-2010, holding the portfolio for longer than any other individual. Charles is a former President of the British Institute of Energy Economics and was awarded a CBE in 2019 for his work in supporting British Trade in Central Asia.

Dr Joanne Wade is Chief Strategic Advisor at the ADE with over 30 years’ experience in the sector. She is an Energy Institute Fellow and Member of the GLA’s Fuel Poverty Partnership and also chairs the CREDS Advisory Board. Joanne was appointed an OBE in 2018 for services to energy efficiency.

In this episode, we explore equality, diversity and inclusion in energy research. UKERC’s engagement officer Amber Sawyer is joined by Fran Long from the Faraday institution and Sarah Higginson from CREDS. They touch on a number of topics including recruitment, wellbeing, the importance of data and inclusion allies.

In this episode of our Talking Energy podcast, UKERC Director Robert Gross is join by the new CEO of Energy UK: Dhara Vyas.

Dhara joined us on the day she became CEO to discuss a wide range of this, including the Government's Clean Power Mission, how to navigate the broad range of stakeholders at Energy UK, and how she expects the coming winter to impact consumers.

We also reached into Dhara's past work as an expert in consumer rights, and in local government, to talk about achieving greater equity in the energy transition, and how devolution of power can help create localised, holistic solutions on energy policy.

In this episode, UKERC Director Rob Gross meets Demetrios Papathanasiou, Global Director of Energy and Extractives at the World Bank and Alex O'Cinneide, Founder and CEO of Gore Street Capital, to explore the crucial topic of investment in electricity storage as an enabler of expanding renewables and electricity grids around the world.

In this episode of ‘Talking Energy’, Co-Director Mike Bradshaw joins Jessica Bays to discuss the rising price of gas. Focusing on the complexities of the supply and price of gas, they cover topics including the energy price cap, supplier failures, weather in Asia, Russian pipeline Nord Stream 2, Brexit and the future role of gas in a net zero world. 

In this episode, UKERC Director Rob Gross is joined by Emma Piercy of the Food and Drink Federation, and Laith Whitwham of the Aldersgate Group, to discuss industrial decarbonisation.

There has been lots of focus on the impact of the energy crisis on households, but what about impacts on industry? This podcast takes stock of UK industrial decarbonisation, it explores the impact of the energy crisis, current and future energy support mechanisms, and looks at the wider international context. It highlights the importance of decoupling gas and electricity prices to bring down energy costs, and the importance of a consistent and supportive regulatory framework.

In this episode of our podcast, UKERC Director, Professor Rob Gross, joins Jessica Bays to explore the Government's recent 2035 clean power goal. Touching on a number of topics, including gas prices, renewables and nuclear, it focuses on offshore wind targets.

This is the inaugural podcast from the team at The UK Energy Research Center. In this episode, UKERC Director Prof Rob Gross discusses the impact of Brexit on the UK energy landscape with Caroline Kuzemko (Associate Professor in the University of Warwick’s Politics and International Studies department) and Antony Froggatt (Chatham House).

In this episode of our "Talking Energy" podcast UKERC Director Rob Gross is joined by Shell's Chief Economist, Mallika Ishwaran to discuss the Shell energy scenarios.

In the podcast they discuss Mallika’s role at Shell, which focuses on analysing economic trends to shape long-term energy scenarios. It highlights the critical role of scenarios in managing uncertainties within the energy sector and how they differ to forecasts. It also covers topics such as how scenarios are used in decision making, their history at Shell, and it considers the latest scenarios, which now include energy security and geopolitics, reflecting the evolving and complex nature of global energy challenges.