241. The Great Oxford Debate: “Energy and Aristotle" - Aug26

In March 2026, Laurent was invited by Jan Rosenow at Oriel College, Oxford, for a public debate on the energy transition. Held in the College's historic library, the discussion brought together contrasting perspectives on one of today's defining challenges. Jan Rosenow, Professor of Energy and Climate Policy, is renowned for his work on energy efficiency, electrification, and the transition to net-zero energy systems.

Laurent opened by introducing the "Aristotelian Triangle" of the energy debate—Ethos, Logos, and Pathos—arguing that values, evidence, and emotion all shape how people interpret energy issues. Responding to Jan's distinction between energy addition and energy transition, Laurent made two key points.

First, history shows that energy forecasts have repeatedly underestimated transformative innovations, from shale gas and LEDs to solar, electric vehicles, batteries, and AI-driven data centres. His conclusion: humility is essential when predicting structural change.
Second, Laurent presented his "Diocletian Tetrarchy of Energy," pairing Vaclav Smil with Clayton Christensen to represent continuity versus disruption, alongside Daniel Yergin and Michael Liebreich to illustrate the roles of markets, geopolitics, and industrial transformation. He described himself as roughly 70/30 in favour of technological disruption while acknowledging the inertia of existing energy systems.

The discussion also examined the cost of ideology, arguing that opposition to technologies such as offshore wind or nuclear power can shape investment, electricity prices, and energy affordability. It concluded by exploring industrial policy, energy security, and how nations should balance resilience, competitiveness, and comparative advantage in a changing geopolitical landscape.

Although the formal debate lasted just over an hour, the conversation continued long afterwards. This episode captures part of those fascinating exchanges.

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Episoder(200)

240. The CHINT Blueprint, or the Chinese Solar revolution from the inside - Aug26

During Intersolar (The Smart E), Gerard sat down with Dr Chuan Lu, CEO Astronergy and Director of Chint Group to discuss, from the inside the Chinese Solar revolution. 2026 was Dr Lu and Chint 15th pa...

3 Aug 29min

239. Space PPAs for satellites - Jul26

Laurent and Gerard set out to explore one of the biggest ideas emerging alongside the excitement around the SpaceX IPO: datacenters in space. To refuel those satellites emerged the concept of an orbit...

27 Jul 26min

238. Revealed: CIP’s Playbook (Live from DLA Piper) - Jul26

In June 2026, Gerard and Laurent recorded a live episode at DLA Piper’s Charging Up Capital 2026 Global Energy and Digital Investments Forum with Rowan Parkhouse, Managing Director at Copenhagen Infra...

20 Jul 35min

237. Datacenters: "Let’s get Physical" with Quinbrook - Jul26

Gerard and Laurent first welcomed David Scaysbrook to the podcast in Episode 66, back in January 2022, for a conversation about the future of 24/7 power. Four years later, it felt like the right momen...

13 Jul 31min

236. The Bankability of Energy Storage (Solar Power Summit) - Jul26

In May 2026, our co-host Laurent Segalen had the privilege of chairing a high-profile panel hosted by SolarPower Europe at its annual Solar Power Summit in Brussels, one of the leading gatherings for ...

6 Jul 26min

235. European Sovereign Neocloud - Jun26

Gerard and Laurent welcome Michel Boutouil, co-founder and CEO of Polarise, a leading European AI infrastructure provider and NVIDIA Cloud Partner based in Berlin. After discussing about what happens ...

29 Jun 32min

234. Engie, the remarkable turn around (live from Eurelectric Power Summit) - Jun26

At the Eurelectric Power Summit 2026 in Helsinki, Laurent had the opportunity to sit down with Catherine MacGregor, CEO of ENGIE and Vice President of Eurelectric, for a wide-ranging discussion on the...

22 Jun 27min