Key Opinion Leaders: Decoding the Energy Transition

Case for tracking: Earlier, geothermal was gaining credibility through U.S. funding and EGS pilots, though progress was slowed by long permitting cycles and uncertain early economics. Lithium co-production from geothermal brines was also emerging as a potential revenue stream at pilot scale. By Q3 2025, momentum has accelerated: Germany moved...

Case for tracking: Momentum around energy storage surged in Q3 2025 as governments and utilities shifted from planning to large-scale deployment. The U.S., U.K., and Germany led record investment in battery energy storage systems (BESS) to meet rising power demand from renewables, EVs, and data centres. Focus is shifting toward...

Case for tracking: Grid stability has become a critical pressure point in the 3rd Quarter as renewable power grows faster than the systems built to carry and balance it. In the U.S., policy reversals and cancelled transmission projects like the Grain Belt Express highlight how vulnerable inter-state power planning remains,...

Case for tracking: In Q3 2025, renewable energy growth ran into major infrastructure challenges. Solar and wind projects are being built faster than grids can handle them, slowing progress in several regions. In the U.S., new tariffs on solar imports and the cancellation of key transmission lines delayed projects, while...

Case for tracking: In Q3 2025, the North Sea was back in focus, with new discoveries but also mounting pressures. Equinor found more oil and gas near the Troll field, while Shell restarted Penguins using a new FPSO that extends field life and lowers emissions. At the same time, new...

Case for tracking: Q3 has seen renewed urgency from the U.S. federal government to accelerate permitting and regulatory reform, especially where AI/data centre infrastructure and power grid expansion are involved. Key moves include the Trump administration negotiating formal agreements with Western states to fast-track environmental permitting for large projects in...

Case for tracking: In Q3 2025, AI’s rapid growth proved tightly linked to the energy system. On the clean energy side, companies launched new tools like Aetheriqube’s carbon tracking platforms and Nanogeios’ IRIS-X system for low-cost hydrogen detection showing how AI is helping drive low-carbon innovation. Startups across Europe and...

Case for tracking: Nuclear gained sharper visibility as policy and culture converged in Q3 2025. In the U.S., Trump’s orders to fast-track reactor restarts and SMR approvals boosted projects like Palisades. But nuclear policy in the U.S. is not just about projects (like Palisades or SMRs) but also about regulatory...

Case for tracking: In Q3 2025, solar showed resilience by pivoting toward storage, faster interconnection, and local manufacturing while still expanding despite tariff and incentive uncertainty. At RE+, industry leaders described solar as a mature, resilient sector now putting batteries at the centre of project design, with state and local...

Case for tracking: In Q3 2025, carbon capture and storage (CCUS) took another step forward, but the picture was mixed. Japan approved its first offshore capture wells, and Norway began injecting CO₂, supported by new safety work from DNV and progress on Yara’s North Sea hub. On the finance side,...

Case for tracking: U.S. policies have always favoured fracking; in fact, shale gas extracted using fracking played a crucial role in the US becoming the largest producer of natural gas in the world. With the U.S. set to follow a very pro-fracking “America-first” approach to natural gas and oil production...

Case for tracking: Speculations about solar energy carry on from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025. Never-the-less, solar projects remain prominent, especially in the GCC (Oman, Saudi, etc.). While still dependent on traditional means to combat intermittency, solar remains the most scalable renewable energy available, and thus still a key player...

Case for tracking: Nuclear is being positioned as a clean, reliable base-load solution, making it a critical area to watch in global energy strategies. SMR are becoming more relevant in countries that do not produce LNG on a large scale, but even countries like the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are...

Case for tracking: In early 2025, U.S. energy policy underwent a sharp shift under the Trump administration, with a strong push to increase oil, gas, and fossil fuel production. Key moves include declaring a national energy emergency, pausing wind energy permits, and reversing many of Biden’s climate-focused rules. These changes...

Case for tracking: The global LNG market has continued its trajectory of expansion, particularly in the U.S., where pipeline infrastructure improvements have significantly bolstered takeaway capacity. Compared to Q3 and Q4 of 2024, LNG exports from the U.S. reached record highs, while crude oil exports declined by 300 kb/d. Europe’s...

Case for tracking: In Q1 2025, AI is no longer just a tech trend—it’s becoming critical infrastructure across sectors like energy, mining, logistics, and finance. Agentic AI systems are taking on complex tasks in the corporate domain, while industries such as mining are utilising AI to enhance safety and efficiency....

Case for tracking: Solar technology is making some noise as it gets increasingly popular. Several conversations about a causal relationship between use of crude oil and solar energy, with the increased use of oil linked to the production of solar panels and mining for resources used to make solar panels....

Case for tracking: While several people claim that AI will give us the answer to a more sustainable future, some suggest that its training and computing demands are more harmful to the environment than helpful. Within the O&G and energy industry, AI is being adopted in the mining and natural...

Case for tracking: Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) has emerged as a critical tool in global climate strategy, especially in hard-to-abate sectors like heavy industry and power. As opposed to our findings from Q1 2024, where most mentions of CCUS were linked to blue hydrogen, Q1 2025 sees CCUS...

Case for tracking: In Q2 2025, CCUS gained momentum as U.S. policy proposals to expand 45Q tax credits advanced and the EPA approved more CO2 injection wells, enabling companies like Occidental to scale carbon storage alongside fossil fuel production. Public support is growing, but the bankruptcy of a major carbon...

Case for tracking: In Q1 2025, the Trump administration focused on strengthening energy ties in the Middle East, with Trump’s Gulf tour promoting cooperation on oil, gas, and small modular reactors (SMRs). The UAE explored nuclear expansion, while Saudi Arabia remained in early-stage talks. In Q2, the focus shifted sharply...