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91% of new energy is now 75% cheaper than alternatives New data reveals a fundamental shift in the energy landscape, as per trends from the last years. Over the past decade, renewable energy costs have plummeted across all major technologies: • Solar PV costs dropped 75% • Onshore wind fell 62% • Offshore wind decreased 60% • Concentrated solar power declined 54% The strategic implications are clear: 81% of renewable capacity added in 2023 now delivers electricity at lower costs than alternatives, which can save a lot of resources of business. For businesses, this data underscores three critical considerations: →Financial optimisation: Renewable investments now offer superior long-term cost predictability compared to volatile fossil fuel markets. →Risk mitigation: Early movers in renewable adoption are positioning themselves ahead of inevitable regulatory and market shifts. →Stakeholder value: ESG-focused investors and customers increasingly expect measurable progress on clean energy transitions. Source: International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Our World in Data Visual Capitalist #renewableenergy #sustainability #cleanenergy #energytransition #ceo #csuite #esg #sustainablebusiness #climatetech #energyeconomics #leadership #futureofenergy #solarpower #windpower #cleantech #energyinnovation

The Rise of the Nextgen IPP For years, the IPP world was split: On one side, utilities — equipped with trading desks, balancing teams, and retail arms. On the other, traditional renewable IPPs — focused on building and selling energy, usually via “pay-as-produced” PPAs. But the middle is getting very interesting. A new breed of IPP is emerging — Nextgen IPPs — building larger portfolios, offering structured PPAs, and developing the muscle to originate, optimize, and manage risk. Think Neoen, Greenvolt Power, Encavis AG, Nadara… definitely not utilities, but far beyond the “build and sell” model. What sets them apart? 🔹 They originate PPAs 🔹 They manage portfolios and structure deals 🔹 They understand market optimization and balancing 🔹 They offer energy services, not just electrons Utilities still have the broadest capabilities — retail, trading, intermediation — but they’re no longer the only ones who can run a sophisticated commercial stack. We believe the “Nextgen IPP” is one of the most exciting categories to watch in the energy transition. They combine scale with agility, structure with innovation. Let’s see how far they go.

"One of the key ways to make energy systems more reliable is by maximizing flexibility — improving how well the system can adapt in real time to changes in supply and demand. The more flexible the system, the better it can handle sudden demand spikes in the event of extreme weather, such as cold snaps or heat waves, or respond to supply disruptions such as plant outages. Improving flexibility includes upgrading aging infrastructure. Much of the U.S. grid was built decades ago under different demand patterns. Modernizing the grid — by updating substations and transmission equipment, deploying advanced sensors and incorporating advanced transmission technologies (ATTs), for example — can reduce failure rates during extreme heat and cold. These technologies help operators detect problems quicker, reroute power if equipment is damaged and restore service fast. Modernization not only improves reliability but also reduces expensive emergency interventions and lowers long-term maintenance costs. Increasing grid capacity, both through deployment of ATTs and building regional and interregional transmission lines, can reduce the risk of a local weather event turning into a widespread outage. Creating a more interconnected grid allows regions to share power during shortages. Having this greater transmission capacity also help keep prices down by allowing lower-cost electricity to reach areas facing higher demand. Demand-side management options can help ease pressure on the system during extreme weather events. These include encouraging customers and large users to reduce or shift electricity use during peak periods in exchange for lower bills or leveraging distributed energy resources to help prevent shortages. Systems that rely too much on a single fuel are more vulnerable to disruption. Diversification across energy sources and technologies helps reduce the risk of issues related to fuel shortages, infrastructure failures and localized weather impacts. Finally, policy is also critical. It’s vital that incentives are properly aligned with modern needs for flexibility and preparedness. This can help utilities make system investments that really work in extreme weather and minimize costs to consumers in both the short and the long run." Kelly Lefler World Resources Institute https://lnkd.in/e5syqXQp

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗔𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀. 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆. Decades of electrification, digital acceleration, and rising demand have collided with grids that were not designed for today’s loads, from data centers to electrified fleets and AI-driven computing. That tension is driving the current energy crunch. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦? The leadership imperative is to unlock dormant capacity in the system. That requires a shift in strategy, not just capital. We are already seeing what this looks like in practice. Winthrop Center in Boston, for example, uses digital controls and intelligent energy management to consume 60% less electricity than a typical Boston office building. This reduces pressure on the grid without adding new supply. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀’ 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄: ◾ Optimise existing assets by modernising how current infrastructure is used to meet real demand rather than chasing new builds. ◾ Integrate flexibility and digital orchestration so smarter grids, AI forecasting, and demand response unlock capacity without new supply. ◾ Align stakeholders across sectors so utilities, technology operators, regulators, and corporates move from siloed goals to system-level value. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. My perspective is reflected in a recent Forbes article on how leaders can turn today’s constraints into strategic advantages: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e8G4ghB4 #Forbes #DigitalAcceleration #Sustainability

There's no sector where energy use is growing so rapidly. And I don't see any good solution within the next 18-24 months. Speeding up permitting and the approval of connection requests is one thing. Constructing new power plants, substations and transmission lines is another. New power plants can take 5 years to be ready from the time it is clear that a new one is required. An example: Keppel's new 600 MW CCGT was announced (reached FID) on 30 Aug 2022. Groundbreaking was done on 19 July 2023. It is expected to be ready in 1H 2026. Add in the pre-FID timeline and it would be 5 years. For the new YTL PowerSeraya 600 MW CCGT, the RFP was called in July 2023, awarded on 29 Jan 2024, and the plant will be operational by end 2027. So about 4.5 years in total. In fact, EMA will call the RFP for new generation capacity about five years in advance of the year it is projected to be required. Construction of substations can be even longer. One way to lessen the lead time is for the data centre to operate its own on-site power plant so that no new transmission lines are needed. "Continued Ganzi: "We started talking about this over two years ago at the Berlin Infrastructure Conference when I told the investor world, we're running out of power in five years. Well, I was wrong about that. We're kind of running out of power in the next 18 to 24 months."" "Two major trends are getting ready to crash into each other: Cutting-edge AI is supercharging demand for power-hungry data center processing, while slow-moving power utilities are struggling to keep up with demand amid outdated technologies and voluminous regulations." ""Our checks indicate that the minimum lead time to get data center power in most major US markets is +3 years," they wrote in a February report. Specifically, they wrote that it can take up to two-and-a-half years in Dallas to obtain permits for the power necessary to run a new data center. In Atlanta that's up to six years. And in Silicon Valley, it can take up to seven years. But it's even worse in Europe, the TD Cowen analysts warned. Lead times are now up to eight years in top markets like Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin." "A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) found that the 460 terawatt-hours (TWh) consumed by data centers in 2022 represented 2% of all global electricity usage. Much of that was driven by computing and cooling functions within data centers. The report also predicted that data center electricity usage will double by 2026. It blamed the rise of power-intensive workloads such as AI and cryptocurrency mining. The IEA report isn't the only one forecasting the power demands of AI. For example, the Uptime Institute predicts AI will account for 10% of the data center industry's global power use by 2025 – up from 2% today, according to the NYT." https://lnkd.in/gxjb5NAm

Electricity management is increasingly an analytics problem where AI needs to step in. Decarbonization, variable demand, regenerative energy, and complex infrastructure make it impossible to rely on static rules or occasional reporting. Value comes from analyzing operational data continuously and turning it into decisions. The usual analytics setup does not scale. Work is often done in silos, with data pulled into notebooks, results shared as static reports, and little reuse across projects. Domain experts are separated from the analysis, cycles are slow, and each new use case starts largely from scratch. A collaborative model is a catalyst enabling AI to change the economics. At Mitsubishi Electric, data scientists work directly with domain experts on shared workflows. Analytics is used to identify concrete issues and opportunities. In railways, analysis showed where braking generates surplus energy and how it could be reused. In thermal energy management, a full year of building data was analyzed in 20 business days to optimize heating and cooling. Platform efficiency matters. By running the full AI lifecycle in Dataiku, Mitsubishi Electric reduced their time to produce new projects by about 60 percent. That translates into delivering value roughly 2.5 times faster, which means more use cases delivered and quicker operational impact. This is what AI Success looks like in energy and industrial systems. Read the full story on our website: https://lnkd.in/evhhuQNF 

Hourly matched renewable tariffs have grown x4 in the past year - evidence business customers are changing how they procure energy. This is translating into action from non-domestic energy suppliers. A new Granular Energy survey showed that of 75 suppliers surveyed, 69% were now offering or planning to launch products that aligned renewable generation with actual consumption hour by hour. A key driver is regulatory, with proposed changes to the GHG Protocol meaning hourly matching for emissions calculations in future. This all favours contracts that combine renewables with batteries, or mix different technologies together. These can deliver power when it's scarce and valuable - e.g. evenings and winter - rather than flooding the market at midday when solar has already saturated supply. B2B energy suppliers who develop hourly matching products now position themselves well. In doing so, there's a market dynamic they will need to be aware of for customers with 24/7 demand, e.g. data centres. Here, the nature of this demand will likely create new dynamics - a two-tier certificate market where power delivered at 3am on a January evening is likely to be worth far more than midday summer solar. Suppliers who can package renewables, storage and flexible contracts to cover the difficult hours will be better positioned to win such accounts. Link to the survey in the comments. BFY Group Hannah Sword

𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 — 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀 Most energy incidents don’t begin with sophisticated OT exploits. They begin with ordinary weaknesses that stayed unresolved for too long. After reviewing recent energy-sector incident patterns, a few lessons stand out — practical, uncomfortable, and highly relevant. 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟭: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗜𝗧 Phishing, exposed services, weak credentials, unpatched VPNs. The first breach is rarely in the substation — but it eventually gets there if segmentation is weak. 👉 Lesson: OT security fails when IT incidents are treated as “someone else’s problem”. 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟮: 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 Vendor VPNs, jump hosts, shared credentials, legacy remote tools. Attackers don’t need zero-days — they reuse legitimate paths. 👉 Lesson: “Temporary” access almost always becomes permanent. 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟯: 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 Many incidents were discovered days or weeks later, often by IT teams. OT visibility was minimal, fragmented, or absent. 👉 Lesson: Logs without process context don’t protect turbines, breakers, or generators. 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟰: 𝗢𝗧 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 — 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 Even when attackers stayed “in IT,” operations were affected: • Control room isolation • Manual operations • Delayed restoration • Increased safety risk 👉 Lesson: Loss of visibility and control is itself an operational incident. 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝟱: 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Organizations that recovered faster had: • Segmented networks (zones & conduits) • Tested backups and golden images • Clear OT incident roles • Practiced restoration, not just detection 👉 Lesson: Assume breach. Design for safe recovery, not perfect defense. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 Energy security is no longer about keeping attackers out. It’s about limiting blast radius and restoring control safely. ♻️ Reshare if this resonates 🔔 Follow for grounded OT security insights #OTSecurity #EnergySecurity #ICS #CriticalInfrastructure #GridSecurity #IndustrialCybersecurity

The transition to renewable energy sources like solar and wind is crucial for a sustainable future. However, their intermittent nature poses challenges for grid integration and stability. Our latest review focuses on Integrated Energy Management Systems (IEMS) that can make a game-changing difference. An IEMS is an advanced system that combines predictive and real-time controls to balance energy supply and demand intelligently. By integrating solar forecasting, demand-side management, and supply-side management, an IEMS can optimize renewable energy utilization while maintaining grid reliability. Here are some key benefits of implementing an IEMS: 1. Accurate Solar Forecasting: By precisely predicting solar energy generation, an IEMS can proactively manage supply and initiate appropriate responses, reducing uncertainties. 2. Demand-Side Management: An IEMS can initiate demand responses, such as adjusting energy consumption patterns or incentivizing customers to shift loads, ensuring a better balance between supply and demand. 3. Supply-Side Management: When solar generation is insufficient, an IEMS can seamlessly integrate alternative energy sources, energy storage systems, or dispatch algorithms to maintain a stable supply. 4. Cost Savings: By optimizing energy use and reducing waste, an IEMS can lead to significant cost savings for utilities, businesses, and consumers alike. As the world transitions towards a more sustainable energy future, adopting cutting-edge technologies like IEMS will be crucial. #renewables #research #management #netzero #energy

📈 DEAN Series: Interpreting GDP for Smarter Energy and Economic Decisions Every form of economic activity depends on energy—and energy demand, in turn, is shaped by the health of the broader economy. GDP trends influence inflation, job growth, trade, and investment decisions across sectors. Whether you're in energy, finance, policy, or business, understanding where the economy is headed is essential. With TXOGA’s Quarterly Energy Economics Review covering deeper technical topics, I’ve also received questions about how to make sense of the mainstream indicators we monitor. That’s why I’m launching a new series: Demystifying Energy Analysis and Navigation (DEAN) This first installment takes a closer look at GDP—how it's measured, where the global economy stands, and what it means for energy demand and long-term planning. 🔹 1. Why GDP matters. GDP is more than a headline—it’s the foundation for understanding economic well-being. It directly captures spending, investment, and trade, and indirectly signals inflation, jobs, corporate profits, and real income. Energy demand, particularly for oil and natural gas, has long tracked closely with GDP growth. 🔹 2. How we measure it. We use IMF GDP data in U.S. dollars using market exchange rates (MER)—not purchasing power parity (PPP). MER avoids overstating the size of emerging markets (which PPP can inflate ~3x), offering a more grounded perspective for global energy modeling. 🔹 3. What it shows today. Global GDP averaged 3.0% from 2022–2024 but is slowing. The IMF now forecasts 2.4% growth for 2025–2026—nearing recessionary territory, especially given its typical optimism. The outlook still assumes: 4.0% growth in China, 1.8% in the U.S., and 0.6% in Japan. Yet the U.S. economy contracted in Q1, even with consumption pulled forward in anticipation of trade policy changes. 🔹 4. What to watch. Though GDP itself hasn’t signaled a downturn, warning signs are flashing: • U.S. consumer sentiment is at historic lows • Loan delinquencies (90+ days) are rising • Global trade volumes are expected to fall • Bond yields are climbing • The U.S. dollar is down over 6% YTD High-frequency indicators like the Philadelphia Fed’s ADS index point to clear deceleration—not collapse, but enough to raise red flags, especially with structural shifts on the horizon. 🔹 Key takeaways •   GDP trends are central to energy and economic planning •   Measurement methods matter for interpreting global demand •   Slowing growth suggests mounting risk across markets •   Leading indicators reveal more strain than headlines suggest •   Long-term energy investment must account for structural shifts More to come in the DEAN series as we bridge macroeconomic signals and energy market implications. #EnergyEconomics #OilAndGas #GDP #DEAN