How do you forecast what thousands of customers will consume or generate every half hour, then use that insight to price contracts, hedge risk and trade smarter?

In this episode of PowerCast, David from EDF Wholesale Market Services sits down with volume forecasting experts Emily Short and Steve Pugh to reveal the hidden function that underpins accurate pricing and confident trading across power, gas and renewables.

Emily explains how the team produces reliable forecasts multiple times a day, why data quality is everything, and the sheer scale involved: EDF supplies around 40 to 50 TWh of consumption, forecasts 4 to 5 years ahead, and looks as far as 20 years ahead for renewable offtake.

Steve takes us into the renewables challenge: onboarding much larger wind and solar PPAs, building site-specific models for bespoke assets, increasing automation for round-the-clock support, and pushing accuracy further by interrogating the limits of weather forecasting and exploring blended providers. The conversation also covers tightening NESO requirements in the Balancing Mechanism and why that creates both pressure and opportunity for EDF as renewable portfolios grow.

A practical, behind-the-scenes look at how forecasting helps EDF stay ahead of market volatility, support sales teams with sharper pricing, and manage risk as the system evolves.

This month we're joined by market analysts Curtis Higgins and Will Illesley to review how GB power markets performed in November, covering wholesale prices, the Balancing Mechanism and ancillary services.

November was characterised by strong renewable generation and a generally stable system, which led to narrower market spreads and slightly lower battery revenues compared with October. A cold snap mid month increased demand and created short periods of price volatility, but prices eased later in the month as wind generation increased and reliance on gas reduced. The episode also highlights a notable milestone for wind, with Great Britain setting a new maximum wind generation record during November.

The discussion includes a clear explainer on triads and why they matter for flexible assets, including how potential triad days influence optimisation strategies and spill over into frequency response and wholesale markets. The team also explores Balancing Mechanism trends, where volumes remained high but value softened, and how ongoing grid constraints, particularly in Scotland, continue to shape market outcomes.

In this episode of PowerCast, David from EDF’s Wholesale Market Services team is joined by Barney Gilmore, Flexibility Product Lead, and Ross Irvine, Senior Manager for PPA Origination and Structuring, to unpack the fast-growing world of co-located solar and battery projects.

Using a recently signed solar plus battery deal as a case study, they explore how co-location works in practice: from sharing a single grid connection and choosing between AC and DC coupling, to combining CFD-backed PPAs with merchant battery optimisation and floor products. They also dig into the contractual challenges, capacity market obligations, and why having a single counterparty for PPA and optimisation can simplify delivery.

The discussion finishes with a look at what comes next: larger transmission-connected batteries, potential wind and hydrogen co-location, and evolving CFD and negative price protections. This episode is for developers, investors and corporates who want to understand how to structure bankable co-located assets and get the most value from every megawatt.

October marked the start of the winter season and brought a sharp mix of named storms, cold snaps and shifting demand. In this episode, David is joined by EDF’s market analysts to break down how these weather fundamentals shaped wholesale power prices, balancing mechanism activity and ancillary service revenues. They explore record levels of BM utilisation for batteries, fewer negative price periods, and why rising evening peaks are creating stronger discharge opportunities as winter sets in. A clear, data-driven view of what moved the markets and what asset owners should watch over the next month.

Record-breaking solar generation defined Summer 2025, with GB output reaching 13.8 TWh but capture rates falling to around 85% of baseload prices. David and Dan Wilkinson discuss what this means for PPA valuation, shaping costs, and the balance between fixed and indexed contracts. They unpack why price cannibalisation is accelerating, how wind and solar trends compare, and how co-located batteries and behind-the-meter generation can protect value. The episode also previews EDF’s new monthly capture-price reporting, giving offtakers and developers faster insight into renewable market shifts.

PowerCast: September Power Market Recap - volatility, wind, BM shifts

Monthly market update from EDF Wholesale Market Services. Rachel is joined by analysts Robbie Auld and Bhanu Duggal to unpack September’s UK power markets: stronger wind, deeper day-ahead dips, and what it meant for batteries.

What we cover

• Prices and volatility: lower averages on strong wind, deeper negative periods, and wider wholesale spreads for batteries.

• BM activity: record daily battery offers, regional patterns, and interconnector outages shaping dispatch.

• Rule changes: how the ABSVD treatment shift and non-BMU access to Quick Reserve from 3 September change strategies.

• Ancillary services: knock-on effects across DR, DC, and DM as competition and pricing rebalance.

• Battery revenues: highlights from our Battery League tables and where value showed up.

• Winter outlook: NESO’s latest view on margins and what a windy winter could mean for spreads.

Subscribe for monthly market briefs. Follow on LinkedIn: EDF Wholesale Market Services. More at: edfenergy.com/wholesale-market-services

The UK’s first Clean Flexibility Roadmap has been published by DESNZ, Ofgem and NESO; setting out a unified plan to build a clean, consumer-focused and flexible electricity system.

In this episode of PowerCast, host Rachel Murphy is joined by EDF’s James Thornton and Ismahan Kellou to unpack what the roadmap really means for the energy market.

We explore: • Why flexibility is critical to integrating more renewables• The roadmap’s headline targets – including an eightfold increase in capacity by 2050• How barriers like grid connection delays and revenue stacking inconsistencies can be addressed• The tangible benefits for households, businesses and investors.

Listen in for a practical look at how this roadmap could reshape the UK energy system and the role EDF is playing in turning ambition into delivery.

Dive into the August edition of PowerCast from EDF Wholesale Market Services.

Our market analysts unpack what shaped UK power markets last month; from storm-driven volatility and flat high-pressure periods, to how batteries earned revenues through the balancing mechanism and ancillary services.

Hear insights on solar and wind capture rates, wind farm behaviour , and what this all means for battery storage, PPAs, and asset optimisation.

We also look ahead to September and the coming winter, highlighting the risks and opportunities for flexible assets.