NEW ANALYSIS: Do renewables make electricity cheaper or more expensive? I pulled together wholesale and retail data across Europe and the US. Wholesale prices track gas exposure, not renewables share. Retail prices barely track either. Read full piece👇 janrosenow.substack.com/p/do-renewab...

Interesting analysis with some proper detail and work behind it. Worth a read.

Do renewables make wholesale electricity cheaper or more expensive? The answer: renewables share doesn't really move the needle - it's markets where natural gas generation sets the price that are the expensive markets. Aka more gas = more expensive electricity. Here's the mic drop graph:

The complex answer to a simple question: will more renewables make energy costs (wholesale and retail) cheaper? Some really great analysis from @janrosenow.bsky.social with learning for policy makers, practicioners and clean energy advocates.

An excellent article on the costs involved in the transition to renewables. I just wish there was a fossil fuel tax that added cost to gas and gave more incentive for things to change quicker.

A really interesting analysis. Why energy is cheaper via electricity than gas in some countries but not others seems to be down to government energy policy.

NEW ANALYSIS: Do renewables make electricity cheaper or more expensive? I pulled together wholesale and retail data across Europe and the US. Wholesale prices track gas exposure, not renewables share. Retail prices barely track either. Read full piece👇 janrosenow.substack.com/p/do-renewab...

UK Energy Performance Certificates never recommend a heat pump. Those who install one often get downgraded. Why? I was on BBC Morning Live to shed light on what is completely counterintuitive as we try to incentivise heat electrification. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTLE...

"Heat pumps just shift gas burning to the power station." Wrong. Even if 100% of electricity came from gas, a heat pump at SCOP 3.8 uses 51% less gas than a boiler. At a terrible SCOP 2.5, still 25% less. David MacKay made this point in 2008. The maths hasn't changed.

In 55 countries, wind and solar generated more electricity than coal in 2025. 34 of them have near-zero coal left. Spain crossed over in 2009. The UK in 2016. The USA last year. Different grids, different politics, same pattern. Want more of this? Sign up here janrosenow.substack.com

For years, the biggest criticism of renewables was simple: “What happens when the sun isn’t shining?” The answer is increasingly: battery storage. 24/7 solar power is no longer theoretical. In some places, it is becoming economic reality.

In 55 countries, wind and solar generated more electricity than coal in 2025. 34 of them have near-zero coal left. Spain crossed over in 2009. The UK in 2016. The USA last year. Different grids, different politics, same pattern. Want more of this? Sign up here janrosenow.substack.com

UK Energy Performance Certificates never recommend a heat pump. Those who install one often get downgraded. Why? I was on BBC Morning Live to shed light on what is completely counterintuitive as we try to incentivise heat electrification. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTLE...

Three sectors. One chart. Three very different stories. Buildings: 33% electrified in 1990 → 47% today. Industry: 31% → 33%. Barely moved. Transport: ~1% then, ~1% now. The 23% headline hides three transitions at radically different speeds. Long read coming on Substack: janrosenow.substack.com

Germany has 2.5 GW of grid batteries operational and a 10.5 GW pipeline. If that pipeline had been online in 2025, it could have avoided a third of wind and solar curtailment and saved ~€0.8bn. New @ember-energy.org analysis asks whether upcoming capacity auctions will treat batteries fairly.

The more we experience fossil fuel volatility, the clearer the case becomes: "The war has certainly accelerated clean tech adoption." This is what I told The Times for their piece on how the energy crisis drives adoption of solar, EVs and heat pumps. www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

Electrification league table: 🇳🇴 Norway 49% 🇸🇪 Sweden 33% 🇯🇵 Japan 31% 🇨🇳 China 29% 🇺🇸 US 22% 🇪🇺 EU 22% 🇬🇧 UK 21% 🇩🇪 Germany 21% Global average: 23%. China is ahead of every major Western economy. Want more of this? Sign up to my Substack: janrosenow.substack.com

This is a "significant watering down of key provisions, postpones necessary decisions and will ultimately make the transition more expensive and more chaotic” I told Euronews on Germany's decision to scrap its renewable heating law. www.euronews.com/2026/05/14/c...

Electrification league table: 🇳🇴 Norway 49% 🇸🇪 Sweden 33% 🇯🇵 Japan 31% 🇨🇳 China 29% 🇺🇸 US 22% 🇪🇺 EU 22% 🇬🇧 UK 21% 🇩🇪 Germany 21% Global average: 23%. China is ahead of every major Western economy. Want more of this? Sign up to my Substack: janrosenow.substack.com

Do US states with more renewables pay more for electricity? No. Do they pay less? Not necessarily. Across all 50 states in 2024, the correlation between renewables share & residential retail price is very weak in either direction. More of this in my next Substack newsletter janrosenow.substack.com

Do US states with more renewables pay more for electricity? No. Do they pay less? Not necessarily. Across all 50 states in 2024, the correlation between renewables share & residential retail price is very weak in either direction. More of this in my next Substack newsletter janrosenow.substack.com

I frequently get physical letters telling me climate change is a hoax and that I am unqualified and Oxford should fire me. A letter. Envelope. Stamp. Postbox. All to persuade me to stop working on clean energy. I mocked one up - you get the idea. Truly inspiring.

Britons embrace green tech to dodge rising fuel costs. "The war has certainly accelerated clean tech adoption," says @janrosenow.bsky.social. Heat pump orders are up 72% and solar panel sales up 104%, as the annual household bill is forecast to rise to £1,929. www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

The more we experience fossil fuel volatility, the clearer the case becomes: "The war has certainly accelerated clean tech adoption." This is what I told The Times for their piece on how the energy crisis drives adoption of solar, EVs and heat pumps. www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

I frequently get physical letters telling me climate change is a hoax and that I am unqualified and Oxford should fire me. A letter. Envelope. Stamp. Postbox. All to persuade me to stop working on clean energy. I mocked one up - you get the idea. Truly inspiring.

The electricity-to-gas price ratio is the biggest barrier to electrifying European homes. Heat pumps deliver ~3 units of heat per unit of electricity. The maths works in Sweden but not everywhere. Much of gap is policy. More analysis in my forthcoming Substack newsletter janrosenow.substack.com

The "renewables make electricity expensive" line doesn't survive contact with data. But neither does claim that wind+solar automatically deliver cheap power. Europe 2025: all renewables r = -0.51, wind+solar only r = -0.14. Hydro does heavy lifting. Full analysis Sunday: janrosenow.substack.com

The "renewables make electricity expensive" line doesn't survive contact with data. But neither does claim that wind+solar automatically deliver cheap power. Europe 2025: all renewables r = -0.51, wind+solar only r = -0.14. Hydro does heavy lifting. Full analysis Sunday: janrosenow.substack.com

Two of Europe's most influential energy think tanks are merging. Agora + RAP = close to 300 staff working on energy and climate policy. I spent a decade at RAP, latterly as VP. So this one is personal. Good luck to everyone involved. The work matters more than ever. www.euractiv.com/news/europes...

Norway runs 98% on renewables, leads the world on EVs & is heat pump king. It's also one of the biggest oil & gas exporters on the planet. TRT made a programme on this paradox — inspired by my Substack. Can you claim climate leadership while exporting fossil fuels? www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OPC...

A new New York Times piece shows: The Iran war is accelerating something that was already underway: Europeans turn to solar, heat pumps & EVs in large numbers. E.ON reports solar interest in the UK up 63%. Enpal in Germany: inquiries for panels & heat pumps rise 30%. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/b...

Where gas sets prices, prices are higher. r = 0.91 across European electricity markets in 2025. Italy & UK: gas sets prices 75-80% of hours, avg €90-115/MWh. Finland: 15% of hours, €42/MWh. More in my next Substack newsletter on whether renewables mean lower prices: janrosenow.substack.com

NEW ANALYSIS: What's going on in Spain? Spain's wholesale electricity price in early 2026: €44/MWh. Italy: €127. Germany: €96. UK: €103. Wind+solar now deliver 44% of generation. Gas sets the price in just 9% of hours, down from 55% in 2022. Full analysis: janrosenow.substack.com/p/spain-just...

NEW ANALYSIS: What's going on in Spain? Spain's wholesale electricity price in early 2026: €44/MWh. Italy: €127. Germany: €96. UK: €103. Wind+solar now deliver 44% of generation. Gas sets the price in just 9% of hours, down from 55% in 2022. Full analysis: janrosenow.substack.com/p/spain-just...

Apparently I'm ranked top 3 energy and climate expert in the world, top 6 climate activist & entrepreneur and top 5 LinkedIn influencer in UK. BUT: These kinds of social media rankings are inherently subjective, and a lot of credible voices are missing, so take it with a degree of caution.

Spain’s power prices have flipped. A decade ago, Spain was a solar cautionary tale & high-cost market. Now among Europe’s cheapest. Gas decline is part of the story, but not the whole picture. More tomorrow: janrosenow.substack.com

Gas set Spain's electricity price 55% of the time in 2022. In Jan–Apr 2026: just 9%. Rapid renewable buildout means renewables increasingly set the marginal price instead - delivering structurally lower, more stable wholesale prices. Sign up to my new newsletter for more: janrosenow.substack.com

Gas set Spain's electricity price 55% of the time in 2022. In Jan–Apr 2026: just 9%. Rapid renewable buildout means renewables increasingly set the marginal price instead - delivering structurally lower, more stable wholesale prices. Sign up to my new newsletter for more: janrosenow.substack.com

🇪🇸 Spain's electricity in 2000: 56% fossil, 2% solar & wind. By 2026: 44% solar & wind, just 17% fossil. The crossover came in 2023. Gas now sets the price only 15% of the time vs 89% in Italy. More in my forthcoming Substack newsletter 👇 janrosenow.substack.com

Fuel shocks keep exposing the same structural weakness: industry hooked on fossil fuels has nowhere to hide when supply is disrupted. @canarymedia.com covers our High Voltage report showing up to 90% of industrial energy demand could be electrified.. www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...

Fuel shocks keep exposing the same structural weakness: industry hooked on fossil fuels has nowhere to hide when supply is disrupted. @canarymedia.com covers our High Voltage report showing up to 90% of industrial energy demand could be electrified.. www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...

🎙️ LIVESTREAM TODAY — I'm delighted to be hosting Greg Jackson, Founder & CEO of @octopus.energy, at @orieloxford.bsky.social at 5pm in the beautiful setting of the Senior Library. Join us live here 👇 www.youtube.com/@orielcolleg...

"And 95% of EU oil and 88% of gas is imported."

Europe's electricity: 29% fossil fuels in 2024, down from 53% in 2005. But electricity is only 23% of total energy. Buildings: 71% fossil. Industry: 61%. Transport: 93%. And 95% of EU oil and 88% of gas still imported. More in my Nature Energy article: nature.com/articles/s41560-026-02048-z

🚀 Heat pump sales are surging across Europe and high fossil fuel prices appear to be a key driver. Q1 2026 data from the European Heat Pump Association shows: 🇩🇪 Germany: +34% 🇫🇷 France: +21% (300,000+ units in just one quarter - the largest market in Europe) 🇫🇮 Finland: +71% in March alone

6 phases of renewable energy integration: @iea.org lays out typical challenges and how countries are solving them. Several are already in the high phases (4–6), where grids go from "building enough" to "operating smarter". A useful mental map to understand where countries are.

Once renewables are built, they deliver power regardless of what happens in the Gulf. Energy security and clean energy are the same argument. 🎙️Was on Al Jazeera's Counting the Cost this week on how the Iran war is reshaping global energy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdv1...

Poland is often seen as Europe's coal stronghold. In 2000, coal generated 94% of its electricity. But something remarkable is happening: Coal's share has fallen to 50%. Wind+solar, non-existent 15yrs ago, now generate 1/4 of electricity. More in my newsletter. Sign up here: janrosenow.substack.com

Since the Middle East war began Europe's EV market has been accelerating sharply. Q1 2026 registrations hit 547,000 — up 32% on the same period last year. But the real story is March 2026 with almost 50% more than in March 2025. More in next newsletter sign up here janrosenow.substack.com

Wow! More than double the volume of gas cut off due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz is being wasted each year because countries are failing to deal with methane leaks and unnecessary flaring, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says.