A Weekly Podcast

Power Plays

The tech, finance, and politics
powering the energy transition.

Unpacking the energy transition—what happened, why it matters, and what you need to know.

Each week, Dr. Charlotte Kirk and Lucy Shaw bring deep industry insights and unique insider knowledge to the biggest stories shaping energy markets, climate technology, and transition policy.

From geopolitics and grid modernisation to critical minerals and clean firm power—no topic is off limits.

Listen & Subscribe

11

Batteries: Sodium-Ion, Electric Trucking & Recycling

Peak Energy's sodium-ion commercialisation, Zenobē's electric trucking play, and Ascend Elements' recycling bankruptcy.

Apr 15, 2026 · 42 min
10

Decarbonising Iron & Steel, Low-Carbon Cement, US Offshore Wind Cancellations & UK Turbine Manufacturing

The path to green steel and cement, plus why US offshore wind is stalling and UK turbine factories face setbacks.

Apr 2, 2026 · 39 min
09

Over-hyped, Under-hyped or Hyped Just Right?

Live at Octopus Energy HQ — audience votes on geothermal, balcony solar, V2G, coal phase-out, copper supply, and critical minerals geopolitics.

Mar 27, 2026 · 38 min
08

Secondary Energy Commodities: Refined Fuels, Fertilizers, Helium & Sulphur

How Middle East conflict impacts refined fuels, fertilizers, and industrial supply chains — plus the UK's energy resilience response.

Mar 20, 2026 · 50 min
07

Energy Geopolitics: Global Markets, Trade Exposures & Crisis-Driven Electrification

Energy implications of Middle East conflict — shipping, LNG logistics, foreign exchange pressures, and regional vulnerabilities across Asia, Europe, and the US.

Mar 13, 2026 · 40 min
06

Resilience: Google's Interconnection Strategies, Form's LDES & Distributed Batteries

Market reactions to conflict escalation, Google's data-centre power strategy, and the commercialisation of multi-day battery storage.

Mar 6, 2026 · 33 min
05

Modernising the Grid: Solid-State Transformers, Coal for Defence & Space-Based Tech

Transformer innovation, how coal is being co-opted for defence energy security, and space-based solar concepts.

Feb 26, 2026 · 35 min
04

Critical Minerals: Microgrids, Rare Earths, Copper Recycling & European Industrial Policy

Materials availability, microgrid deployment, recycling scale-up, and European industrial investment decisions for iron & steel.

Feb 20, 2026 · 43 min
03

Flexible Energy Tech & the Dark Side of Data Centres Going Off-Grid

Flexible and distributed energy technology, grid reliability through storage and orchestration software, and the risks of data centres disconnecting from the grid.

Feb 20, 2026 · 29 min
02

Geothermal, Fusion & the UK's Warm Homes Plan

Geothermal development, fusion investment, capital flows toward clean firm power, and the UK's household energy policy.

Feb 20, 2026 · 38 min
01

Repricing Electricity: AI Infrastructure & UK Renewables Auctions

How AI and hyperscaler demand reshape electricity procurement and grid constraints — plus explaining how UK renewables auctions work.

Feb 19, 2026 · 49 min

Latest Episode

Meet Charlotte & Lucy

Dr. Charlotte Kirk
CK

Dr. Charlotte Kirk

Climate-Tech Investor

Charlotte is a climate-tech investor specialising in industrial decarbonisation and energy transition. She previously served as Head of Technology at Fortescue and led European investments at Clean Energy Ventures. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from Oxford, was the first female in the British Army's infantry, and is a North Face-sponsored endurance athlete.

Lucy Shaw
LS

Lucy Shaw

Energy Investor & Writer

Lucy is an energy investor, writer, and policy researcher currently writing a book examining coal dependency. She previously worked at Blackstone, BCG, the United Nations, and the IFC across six continents. She earned an MBA and MPA from Harvard as a Fulbright Scholar and studied mechanical engineering at the University of Melbourne.

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Contact Us

Want us to answer a question about energy? Want us to speak to your organisation? Something else entirely? Send us an email and we’ll be in touch.

lshaw@gordonmgmt.co.uk