About
From FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, Watt Matters is a podcast all about the energy transition and the shift to a decarbonised economy. Through biweekly debates and discussions on the energy transition in Europe, North America and around the world, Watt Matters focuses on how to achieve thriving renewable energy markets and liveable cities through the right mix of policy, regulation, finance and technology.
In 2016, FORESIGHT Climate & Energy was launched to help break down the silos of our carbon-based economy and connect the dots of the energy transition. Now we have launched Watt Matters, a podcast all about reaching net zero in the most practical and affordable way.
In each episode of Watt Matters, FORESIGHT Editor David Weston will be joined by Michaela Holl from Agora Energiewende and Jan Rosenow of the Regulatory Assistance Project, as well as regular guests from around the world, to discuss a different topic on the energy transition to a decarbonised economy.
We want to build a community of listeners that are just like us: passionate about moving the global energy transition forward, so please don’t hesitate to engage with us, give us feedback and share your recommendations for future topics and guests.Â
Latest episode
24 March 2023
Securing a slice of the PPA market
With a buying power significantly stronger than the general public, corporations are looking to buy up solar capacity through power purchase agreements (PPAs) to help decarbonise their activities. But the market, and the regulations, are not yet ready.
The hosts
In each episode, policy expert Michaela Holl, energy expert Jan Rosenow and FORESIGHT Climate & Energy’s editor David Weston will delve into a different aspect of the energy transition
Michaela spent 16 years at the European Commission in the departments of health and consumer (2004-2009) and energy (2009-2021) where she covered inter alia renewables energy infrastructure, renewables finance and energy efficiency in buildings at great technical level. She was intimately involved in the Clean Energy Package discussions, the EU Green Deal and the EU s recovery plan. She has broad experience in EU decision making also from a second EU institution, since, prior to the European Commission, she worked as parliamentary assistant to Claude Turmes, today Luxemburg’s Energy Minister.
Since March 2021, she works as a Senior Associate at Agora Energiewende in Brussels, a non-profit think tank which seeks to advance the goal of climate neutrality in Germany, Europe and the rest of the world with evidence-based and politically viable ideas. Michaela holds a Master in European Economics and a diploma in international business and cultural studies. She is a guest lecturer on the energy transition at TU Munich School of Governance. When she manages to get away from energy twitter, she enjoys stand-up comedy, running, time in the community garden and cheering for her two sons at football matches.
Dr Jan Rosenow is a Principal and Director of European Programmes at the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), a global team of highly-skilled energy experts. Jan has several board appointments including the European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy and the Coalition for Energy Savings. Jan also has a passion for energy research. He is an Honorary Research Associate at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute. In recognition of his work within the field, Jan was named one of the world’s Top 25 energy influencers and has been appointed Special Advisor to the House of Commons as part of their inquiry into decarbonising heating. He is a regular commentator in the national and international media and has been an expert witness to the European Parliament and the House of Commons on many occasions.
David Weston is an experienced journalist with a focus on renewable energy and wider business reporting. Based in London, he has written extensively for Windpower Monthly, a global publication, most recently as News Editor with responsibility for the daily digital news feed. David has online, print, audio, and video experience. He has previously covered consumer news, local affairs, and national politics.
Previous episodes
10 March 2023
The problem with wind power
Wind power will be central to the energy transition, but it’s currently stuck in the mire. Unsticking itself is all but straightforward.
24 February 2023
Hydrogen set to spread its wings
Green hydrogen’s role in the energy transition is a given, but just how far and how fast the technology will spread remains up for debate.
10 February 2023
Europe breaks fossil fuel shackles
Despite the ongoing energy crises, the use of coal and gas over this winter has not increased as much as some feared. Europe is on the verge of breaking its addiction to fossil fuels.
16 December 2022
Shocks, stability and sustainable markets
This week’s special live recording of Watt Matters comes from Eurelectric’s offices in Brussels, where the team is joined by Ditte Juul Jorgensen and three trade association chiefs to discuss ways Europe’s electricity market is dealing with the shocks of the past 12 months while securing and stabilising the sector for the future.
9 December 2022
Policy promoting climate finance
With the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the United States is unleashing billions of dollars to promote climate solutions and clean energy technology.
25 November 2022
Are COP talks really worthwhile?
Following yet another round of COP negotiations in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, only limited progress again was made in the global effort to keep global warming limited to 1.5C. This week, the team discusses the value of these negotiations in the quest to avoid catastrophic climate change.
11 November 2022
The present and the future of solar
With solar photovoltaic technology now established, creative new schemes—both technical and financial—are being developed across the globe. In this episode of Watt Matters, we discuss how innovative the solar industry has become and where there is work still left to do.
28 October 2022
The heating policy paradox
Citizens across Europe are concerned about their heating bills as a result of the energy price crisis, but sustainable heating and cooling do not yet receive much attention in the EU’s agenda.
14 October 2022
From range anxiety to charging confidence
The sales of electric vehicles continue to rise globally, but much more needs to be done to deploy charging infrastructure.
30 September 2022
A toolbox for the EU’s energy crisis
In this episode of Watt Matters, we make sense of the short and long-term measures that Brussels is proposing to alleviate Europe’s energy price crisis and its impact on the EU’s energy companies.
16 September 2022
An attractive profession
Europe has set ambitious objectives in its energy transition, but the continent risks not having the workforce to make it happen.
2 September 2022
A strategy for carbon capture technologies
Economic constraints and public acceptance remain two of the biggest challenges to mass deployment of carbon capture technologies in Europe. A unified CCS strategy in Europe could change this.
29 July 2022
From forecast to reality
Europe can have an almost completely decarbonised power sector by 2035, new research suggests.Â
15 July 2022
The need for climate finance Jedi
The world needs trillions of dollars in investments to slow down climate change and fulfil the objectives of the Paris Agreement, but simply throwing money at the problem will not be enough. To harness the force of climate finance, it needs to be made with a just transition in mind.Â
1 July 2022
The American experience
This week, we are joined by Jesse Jenkins, assistant professor at Princeton University, to talk about the challenges and the opportunities for the energy transition in the United States and lessons from Europe’s energy crisis.Â
17 June 2022
Finding the right narrative
As the hot topic of the moment, in this episode of Watt Matters, we examine how energy efficiency policies and measures are being treated around the world.Â
3 June 2022
The energy transition must bring consumers on board
This week, the European consumer organisation’s (BEUC) Monique Goyens joins the team to discuss how consumers are taking an increasingly active role in the energy transition.Â
20 May 2022
A systems approach to the energy transition
This week, DNV’s CEO of Energy Systems Ditlev Engel joins Watt Matters to talk about energy systems thinking and why a holistic approach is needed to make the energy transition happen.Â
6 May 2022
From efficiency to sufficiency
This week, Yamina Saheb, lead author for the IPCC, joins the team to discuss whether a shift in mindset can help accelerate the energy transition.
22 April 2022
Eastern Europe and the energy transition
On Watt Matters this week, Monica Morawiecka from the Regulatory Assistance Project and Julian Popov, a fellow of the European Climate Foundation, discuss what is required to make eastern Europe’s energy transition a reality.
8 April 2022
Behind the hydrogen hype
In this week’s episode, the team is joined by Gniewomir Flis from Energy Revolution Ventures. We examine the hype that surrounds green hydrogen and what role, if any, it can have in the energy transition.
25 March 2022
In from the cold
This week, we are joined by Peter Sweatman, chief executive at Climate Strategy & Partners, to discuss how to make energy efficiency measures more attractive and ensure investment is directed to the right areas.
18 March 2022
The questions facing low-carbon heating
In episode 7, the team are joined by Alix Chambris and Brian Vad Mathiesen to discuss the potential pathways to decarbonise heating in Europe.Â
11 March 2022
A secure Europe
Our guest this week is Kristian Ruby, secretary-general of Eurelectric, to discuss what role the energy market can play in shutting off Russian influence, what that means for energy consumers across Europe and the energy transition.Â
25 February 2022
A market fit-for-purpose
This week, Jan, Michaela and David are joined by Jorge Vasconcelos, chair of New Energy Solutions (NEWES) and part of the Florence School of Regulation. Jorge tells us how electricity market design is essential in getting clean energy to where it is needed.Â
18 February 2022
The Energiewende and the new government
In this episode, Jan, Michaela and David are joined by Claudia Kemfert, professor of energy economics and energy policy at the German Institute for Economic Research and Leuphana University to discuss how Germany’s new government, and its economy, are tackling the energy transition.
4 February 2022
A new utility
The changing role of consumers, the rise of distributed energy and the advent of digital technology are forcing utilities to change how they operate. In this episode of Watt Matters, we speak to Greg Jackson, founder and CEO of Octopus Energy.
17 December 2021
Getting off gas
In this episode, joined by Dennis Hesseling from the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), we talk about what has caused the latest energy crisis, how Europe can avoid a similar situation from happening again and how the European Union has reacted. We also touch on the future of gas infrastructure and discuss the idea of whether green hydrogen can act as a replacement.
3 December 2021
How did we get here and where are we going?
In this episode, David, Michaela and Jan discuss where we are, how we got here and where we are going as the global economy continues its quest to ditch carbon emissions by mid-century.
2 December 2021
Introducing: Watt Matters
Listen to the trailer for the new podcast Watt Matters, bringing biweekly debates and discussions on the energy transition in Europe, North America and around the world.