Sep 23, 2026 · 32 min
Listen from 0:59
Listen at 0:59
Clean power must meet rising demand without sacrificing access
Power under pressure: Can energy security, affordability and net zero still move together? | From Climate Week NYC
As cooling, electrification, data centers and economic development drive electricity demand higher, energy systems must improve security and affordability while cutting emissions.
- 1Efficiency and flexible demand can reduce pressure on grids as heating, cooling and electrification expand.
- 2The United Kingdom’s changing power system shows why renewable growth requires coordinated operations, planning and investment.
- 3Emerging economies need far more electricity access, making solar, storage and supportive policy alternatives to diesel generation.
Don't miss
Damilola Ogunbiyi shifts the frame from wealthy countries’ transition pressures to the billions who still need dramatically more energy access, arguing for solar, storage and supportive markets instead of diesel lock-in.
The brief
Rising demand from cooling, electrification, data centers and economic development is testing whether grids can expand without deepening fossil-fuel dependence.
Damilola Ogunbiyi makes efficiency central to the response, while Kayte O’Neill describes the National Energy System Operator’s challenge of keeping Britain’s island grid reliable through 2050.
David Calabrese argues that HVAC equipment, especially heat pumps and connected systems, sits at the intersection of building emissions, electricity demand and flexible grid management.
The discussion widens beyond wealthy countries: Nigeria and other emerging economies need dramatically more access, but solar, inverters and storage could help avoid diesel lock-in.
The central argument is that security, affordability and decarbonization are not competing goals when efficiency, flexible demand, planning and workforce investment move together.
What was said on this episode
26 statements · 14 positive · 7 negative · 5 neutral
Emerging-economy populations will need twenty times more energy than currently used
“they are going to need 20x the amount of energy they're using now”
Listen at 0:03
The UK grid has 125 gigawatts of prospective demand awaiting connection.
“There's currently 125 gigawatts of new demand. in the queue waiting to be connected.”
Listen at 0:20
Energy costs will increase by one to two trillion in many locations
“We're going to see between one and two trillion. being increased in terms of the cost of energy in a lot of locations.”
Listen at 3:23
Nearly 600 million people lack electricity access, while 2.4 billion lack clean cooking.
“we still have just under 600 million people who have no access to electricity at all and 2.4 billion people that don't have access to clean cooking”
Listen at 4:12
Efficiency and improved grids could reduce energy consumption by 25–30 percent
“we could reduce our energy consumption by 25 30 percent if we're more efficient with the way we use energy and we work with more efficient grid systems”
Listen at 4:58
AI will become the largest energy consumer
“AI is going to be the largest consumer of energy”
Listen at 5:44
AI will become the largest consumer of energy.
“AI is going to be the largest consumer of energy.”
Listen at 5:44
The UK has one of the world’s most reliable electricity grids.
“we are one of the most reliable grids in the world”
Listen at 9:46
The UK has one of the world’s most reliable electricity grids.
“We are one of the most reliable grids in the world.”
Listen at 9:46
A clean UK power transition can reduce costs over time while preserving reliability
“retaining that reliability and security whilst transitioning to a clean system, which I think is our way to bring down costs over time”
Listen at 9:53
HVAC products account for roughly 30–50 percent of building energy loads
“HVAC products. are about 30 to 40, sometimes 50% of the energy load in a building or in a home.”
Listen at 11:52
Heat pumps are more resource-efficient than gas furnaces
“basically a heat pump is more efficient from a resource standpoint”
Listen at 14:27
Inverter HVAC systems can operate across continuously variable speeds
“A inverter or variable speed system. has an infinite number of speeds.”
Listen at 15:38
Variable-speed HVAC improves comfort and efficiency.
“It provides better comfort to you, but also provides a much higher level of efficiency.”
Listen at 15:50
Inverter HVAC units can reduce power use during utility grid events.
“The unit can power down. Power down to a level that helps ameliorate whatever their crisis is.”
Listen at 16:10
Demand flexibility will be central to long-term power-system planning
“Flexibility of demand is ultimately going to be one of the most important tenets when we think about long-term planning of the system.”
Listen at 16:57
UK grids have 125 gigawatts of queued new demand
“there's currently a hundred and 25 gigawatts of new demand in the queue waiting to be connected”
Listen at 17:36
Demand flexibility can help keep power-system costs down
“The ability to build flexibility into that will be so central to ultimately being able to keep the cost of the system down for everybody.”
Listen at 18:22
Distributed diesel and petrol generators harm people and planet more than coal plants
“they actually have more harmful impacts to people and planet than any coal-fired power plant”
Listen at 21:20
Nigeria’s transition and development plan will cost about $1.9 trillion
“it's going to cost about $1.9 trillion”
Listen at 23:24
At least $800 billion of Nigeria’s plan exceeds business-as-usual spending.
“at least 800 billion of that is above business as usual spending”
Listen at 23:28
Consumers are choosing solar and storage instead of diesel generators
“people are choosing solar plus inverter, solar plus storage solutions instead of... the diesel and petrol gensets”
Listen at 24:35
A long-term clean power system costs about the same as a fossil-based trajectory
“a clean power system over the long term is about the same cost as not being on that clean power trajectory”
Listen at 27:19
Gas will remain part of the UK power system through the 2040s
“there will be a role for gas in our system all the way out through the 2040s”
Listen at 27:47
Government incentives are needed to support technology transitions
“government has a role. One role is incentives.”
Listen at 30:17
Clean-technology transitions require worker training
“I think also, besides the money, is getting the workers, those familiar and well-trained.”
Listen at 31:07
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.