Everyone agrees it takes too long and costs too much to build energy infrastructure in America, but what exactly needs fixing, and can we make progress without rolling back vital environmental protections?

In this special episode of Energy Gang, recorded live at the ACORE Grid Forum in Washington D.C., host Ed Crooks takes a deep dive into one of the most complex and consequential issues in US energy policy: permitting reform. Ed begins the episode in conversation with Matt Christiansen, partner at Wilson Sonsini and former General Counsel at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Drawing on his experience inside the commission, Matt explains where the real choke points lie in the permitting process, how federal and state powers intersect, and what the newly confirmed FERC commissioners could do to accelerate much-needed grid investment.

Later, Ed sits down with three experts who work daily on these challenges in Congress and the private sector: Elizabeth Horner, partner at ArentFox Schiff and former counsel to Senators Shelley Moore Capito and John Barrasso; Daniel Palken, Director of Infrastructure for Energy and Permitting at Arnold Ventures; and Jeremy Horan, Permitting Lead at ACORE. Together, they unpack the politics behind reform, the relationship between permitting and transmission planning, and the growing urgency created by surging power demand from data centers and new manufacturing.

The group also discusses the mood in Washington, and hopes that bipartisan momentum can be built to support pragmatic, economy-wide permitting reform.

This episode is the first of two recorded live at the ACORE Grid Forum, where industry leaders, regulators, and policymakers came together to discuss the future of America’s electricity system.

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Nuclear power is back at the centre of the global energy conversation again. Is a real renaissance in the industry under way? Or are we just in another moment of excitement before familiar challenges emerge and the hype cycle turns down again?

In the second of three special episodes ahead of ADIPEC 2025, host Ed Crooks speaks with Dr Sama Bilbao y León, Director General of the World Nuclear Association, about how the role of nuclear power in a world of turbocharged electricity demand growth and continuing pressure to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Sama explains how nuclear power has shifted from an afterthought at climate summits to a cornerstone of countries’ decarbonisation strategies. COP28 in Dubai in 2023 marked a turning point, she says. 199 countries formally recognised nuclear power as essential to meeting their climate goals, and 31 of them committed to triple nuclear generation capacity by 2050. Investment is accelerating, with new projects breaking ground across Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. And where new developments are slow, countries are embracing lower-cost options, including extending plant lifetimes and restarting previously retired reactors.

The discussion explores the growing influence of AI and data centres, which give new relevance to nuclear because of their round-the-clock need for electricity. AI is part of a new alignment of conditions that mean that this time the momentum behind nuclear power is real, Sama argues. Financing is available, governments are pragmatic, and the tech giants are now among the most vocal advocates for 24/7 clean baseload power.

Sama and Ed also unpack the rise of small modular reactors (SMRs). Factory-built to a larger degree, repeatable, and scalable, SMRs could open new opportunities for industrial clusters, remote regions, and energy-hungry digital infrastructure. They may not be the answer to all the challenges the nuclear industry faces, but they should definitely have a role to play. However, Sama warns that probably only a handful of designs will survive the early shake-out that will be needed to streamline the SMR industry.

Finally, the conversation turns to policy and politics. In a more polarised world, nuclear is emerging as rare common ground, backed by governments seeking climate progress, energy security, and economic competitiveness. Sama calls for a balanced system that values integration over ideology: renewables, nuclear, and smarter grids working in tandem.

This is the second of three special episodes sponsored by ADIPEC 2025, where the theme is Energy Intelligence Impact. The event brings together 205,000+ attendees and 1,800+ speakers in Abu Dhabi from 3–6 November 2025. The Energy Gang will be recording live at the event. Join us there to be part of the conversation.

Learn more and register at adipec.com.

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Host Ed Crooks talks to Jason Liu, Chief Executive of Wood Mackenzie and co-author (with Chief Analyst Simon Flowers) of a new book, Connected, about the fast-changing world of energy. They are also joined by Sunaina Ocalan, formerly Senior Director for Corporate Strategy & Climate at the oil and gas company Hess, now Senior Analyst and Co-Head for Americas Energy & Transition at Bernstein Research. Together, they explore how energy leaders can plan, invest and operate operate in a world where different sectors, technologies and geographies are interconnected in more powerful and complex ways than ever before.

They talk about the language of “the energy transition”, and whether it can lead to misconceptions. Global demand for hydrocarbons is still growing, and they will continue to play a critical role in our energy system for decades to come, even as new supply from renewables and other low-carbon sources surges higher. A wider appreciation of that reality is driving a shift from siloed thinking about individual sectors to integrated solutions. For example, companies are increasingly looking at pairing solar and storage with gas generation to meet demand from data centers for reliable low-carbon power.

Sunaina takes us inside the the thinking of energy leaders as they assess strategies and investment decisions. She sets out a practical approach to scenario analysis, with “exit ramps” so companies can pivot as facts change. The aim isn’t to predict one future, but to be ready for a range of possible outcomes. That means balancing the advantages and disadvantages of a wide range of technologies, and taking a strategic view through short-term fluctuations as far as possible.

Effective decision-making is impossible without reliable data. Jason warns about three traps: using too little real data, leaning on synthetic/modelled data without ground truth, and poor integration across different sectors. Data collection technology is advancing rapidly, and with sensors, satellites and market intelligence, decision-makers can increasingly see what’s really happening with precision and granular detail, often in real time.

Then there’s AI. Like other industries, the world of energy is being transformed by the tools that have become available over the past few years. Scenario runs have been cut from months to minutes, with hundreds of models combined to give a comprehensive coherent picture. AI tools can even assess the best models to use on particular data sets: a capability Jason calls hyper-modelling. And still there is a vital role for human intelligence and judgement, to find and interpret the information that the AI tools miss.

The challenges in the energy sector today are vast. It is a cliche to say that uncertainty is higher than ever, but today it genuinely seems true. The pace of innovation in AI is changing the world in ways that have never been seen before. But the opportunity is vast, too. The energy industry will need $75 trillion or more in investment over the next 25 years, to meet ever-growing demand while reducing the impact on the environment. The businesses that succeed in making the most of this opportunity will be the ones that get three things right: the right data, the right AI capabilities, and the right people, all brought together to deliver actionable insights.

Download the book (free): Connected: Bringing predictability to the increasingly uncertain world of energy.

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