Blog by Ellie Gabel: How virtual power plants Are revolutionizing grid management

Virtual power plants — VPPs — are emerging solutions to meet the world’s growing energy needs. Products such as electric cars have increased demand, while frequent temperature extremes strain the grid as people try to keep their homes and businesses comfortable. VPPs are decentralized small-to-medium-sized energy sources that are aggregated and managed to keep existing … Continue reading Blog by Ellie Gabel: How virtual power plants Are revolutionizing grid management →

Energy in Demand News, May 4-5, 2025

What a way to start the week. Shortly after noon on Monday April 28th, Spain’s electricity grid suddenly and unexpectedly lost 15 GW of power—equivalent to 60% of its national demand. The massive drop caused most of the country’s electricity system to shut down, followed by much of neighbouring Portugal’s. There has been much comment … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, May 4-5, 2025 →

Understanding the recent Iberian blackout

In an article on The Conversation website, J. Guillermo Sánchez León, Instituto Universitario de Física Fundamental y Matemáticas (IUFFyM), Universidad de Salamanca tries to explain what actually happened and the lessons that need to be learned from this blackout. Unsurprisingly, there has been much written on this blackout. You may want to read the … Continue reading Understanding the recent Iberian blackout →

Energy in Demand News, April 27-28, 2025

This is the week that many of the world’s institutions received a lecture from the new US administration on changes that should be made. The Financial Times reports: “US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has accused the IMF and World Bank of “mission creep”, calling for them to step back from “their sprawling and unfocused agendas” … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, April 27-28, 2025 →

America’s energy transition: “nothing in the energy world is easy these days”

Though early Trump policies have been broadly unfavorable to utility-scale wind, solar and energy storage, experts are bullish on distributed generation and flexible loads. Brian Martucci writes on the Utility Dive website about recent developments. As Trump targets clean energy, will utilities embrace DERs and VPPs? Amid stiff headwinds for utility-scale renewables and gas, … Continue reading America’s energy transition: “nothing in the energy world is easy these days” →

Energy in Demand News, April 20-21, 2025

What on earth is going on? The Financial Times reports: “US philanthropies and non-profits groups focused on climate change fear that a potential loss of their tax-free status under the Trump administration could imperil their programmes. Concerns have grown that the Trump administration is drafting an executive order on the eve of so-called Earth day … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, April 20-21, 2025 →

Energy in Demand News, April 13, 2025

Let’s start this early spring week with some seasonal background music for you to enjoy reading this week’s newsletter. When Trump returned to the White House this year, we heard a lot of “drill, baby, drill.” Well, there is more. The Washington Post reports that at the White House this week: Trump signed executive orders … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, April 13, 2025 →

Energy in Demand News, April 6-7, 2025

Let’s start this early spring week with some background music for you to enjoy reading this week’s newsletter. Everyone is still trying to come to grips with the “Liberation Day” tariffs that we’ve all been saddled with. The Guardian reports that there have been some exceptions. “Trump’s new 10% universal tariffs – which are higher … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, April 6-7, 2025 →

Breakthrough agreement set to accelerate renewable energy rollout across Europe

Renewable energy supplies could surge across Europe following a breakthrough agreement to minimise local opposition to new wind, solar and electricity grid projects, announced this week by the global network of local and regional governments, Local Governments for Sustainability Europe (ICLEI). Development time could be cut significantly for new wind, solar and electricity grid connection … Continue reading Breakthrough agreement set to accelerate renewable energy rollout across Europe →

What the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal means for Europe’s energy transition

The European Commission has unveiled its new strategy to make EU industries more competitive with cheap energy. Does this mean the bloc will go full speed ahead in terms of building more wind farms and solar power plants? Jörg Mühlenhoff looks into what the details of the Clean Industrial Deal mean for Europe’s energy transition … Continue reading What the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal means for Europe’s energy transition →