Energy & Power
What Really Matters Energy for the Next 12 Months
By Marco Montefiori — Energy Commodity Trader, Energy Tech Investor, Author of “Energy Citizenship: the Energy-Power equation explained”
A
s world leaders gather in Davos, this year more than ever, the energy debate is relevant. With the change in the US administration, the sustainability pendulum swings back. The ESG narrative and green targets are questioned and adjusted, the push for shale hydrocarbons appears revived, and 19th-century land grabbing returns to the global agenda. Given Syria’s sudden regime change after 50 years, what will happen to the Ukraine/Russia conflict, Greenland, Taiwan, and Canada? To navigate these real and surreal complexities of the upcoming geopolitical arena, we need a compass that holds direction regardless of changes in politics, media narratives, and human moods.
This compass has one needle: energy. 2024 gave us a few hints for why energy is a good indicator for how 2025 may look:
• The US administration has included a notable disruptor in the energy sector — Elon Musk — leading to an unprecedented level of power concentration.
• Mario Draghi’s Competitiveness Report urges the EU to develop a stronger energy policy to regain competitiveness.
• Tech companies are heavily investing to secure roles as energy suppliers to sustain their data-driven business model and AI hype.
• The Swiss Federal Government has walked back from the 2017 democratically run referendum outcome against nuclear energy.
So, how can world leaders in Davos benefit from using energy as a compass?
Leaders are expected to make informed choices. Some will keep supporting the idea that energy is just a commodity, and should be plentiful, accessible, cheap, and equitable. This view has three big unwanted consequences:
• It reduces long-term strategic decisions to short-term economic/ financial/monetary calculations;
• It creates unrealistic expectations that energy — in the specific forms required by the machines we built to function — should be cheap and endless;
• It creates addiction. When a sudden shortage happens – also called a supply shock – society falls, literally and figuratively, on its knees.
• The US administration has included a notable disruptor in the energy sector — Elon Musk — leading to an unprecedented level of power concentration.
• Mario Draghi’s Competitiveness Report urges the EU to develop a stronger energy policy to regain competitiveness.
• Tech companies are heavily investing to secure roles as energy suppliers to sustain their data-driven business model and AI hype.
• The Swiss Federal Government has walked back from the 2017 democratically run referendum outcome against nuclear energy.
So, how can world leaders in Davos benefit from using energy as a compass?
Leaders are expected to make informed choices. Some will keep supporting the idea that energy is just a commodity, and should be plentiful, accessible, cheap, and equitable. This view has three big unwanted consequences:
• It reduces long-term strategic decisions to short-term economic/ financial/monetary calculations;
• It creates unrealistic expectations that energy — in the specific forms required by the machines we built to function — should be cheap and endless;
• It creates addiction. When a sudden shortage happens – also called a supply shock – society falls, literally and figuratively, on its knees.
This compass has one needle: energy. 2024 gave us a few hints for why energy is a good indicator for how 2025 may look:
• The US administration has included a notable disruptor in the energy sector — Elon Musk — leading to an unprecedented level of power concentration.
• Mario Draghi’s Competitiveness Report urges the EU to develop a stronger energy policy to regain competitiveness.
• Tech companies are heavily investing to secure roles as energy suppliers to sustain their data-driven business model and AI hype.
• The US administration has included a notable disruptor in the energy sector — Elon Musk — leading to an unprecedented level of power concentration.
• Mario Draghi’s Competitiveness Report urges the EU to develop a stronger energy policy to regain competitiveness.
• Tech companies are heavily investing to secure roles as energy suppliers to sustain their data-driven business model and AI hype.
• The Swiss Federal Government has walked back from the 2017 democratically run referendum outcome against nuclear energy.
So, how can world leaders in Davos benefit from using energy as a compass?
Leaders are expected to make informed choices. Some will keep supporting the idea that energy is just a commodity, and should be plentiful, accessible, cheap, and equitable. This view has three big unwanted consequences:
So, how can world leaders in Davos benefit from using energy as a compass?
Leaders are expected to make informed choices. Some will keep supporting the idea that energy is just a commodity, and should be plentiful, accessible, cheap, and equitable. This view has three big unwanted consequences:
• It reduces long-term strategic decisions to short-term economic/ financial/monetary calculations;
• It creates unrealistic expectations that energy — in the specific forms required by the machines we built to function — should be cheap and endless;
• It creates addiction. When a sudden shortage happens – also called a supply shock – society falls, literally and figuratively, on its knees.
• It creates unrealistic expectations that energy — in the specific forms required by the machines we built to function — should be cheap and endless;
• It creates addiction. When a sudden shortage happens – also called a supply shock – society falls, literally and figuratively, on its knees.
At the INSEAD Energy Club Switzerland, we view energy as a strategic resource, not merely a cost. We follow a holistic approach, where energy is indeed “capacity to do work,” but it is also what the Big Bang released 15 billion years ago, and what matter is made of. As importantly, energy is the main source of political and social power — as I detail in my 2024 book “Energy Citizenship: the Energy–Power equation explained.”
Since reality and politics can be explained in energy terms comprehensively, there is merit in exploring the possibility of making business decisions based on energy considerations, rather than just economics. And unsurprisingly, many organizations, beyond what is referred to as the Energy Sector — oil and gas, electricity suppliers, etc. — take strategic decisions driven by energy reflections. For instance, SBB, the railway company of Switzerland, well-known for its reliability, is typically described as a transportation company. The reality is that at the board level, they consider themselves also as an energy company. SBB is indeed a large user of electricity, but it is also a supplier of electricity and the second-largest electric transmission grid in Switzerland, after Swissgrid. Who would have thought? These and similar considerations are crucial for SBB to be a reference for reliable mobility supply.
The benefits of this approach are multifold.
From a business standpoint, this view enables raising energy from the operations manager's office to the boardroom. Strategic decisions can now aspire to tackle several critical strategic and systemic issues — economic gains, cost reduction, GHG emission reduction, energy intensity reduction, energy resilience, energy efficiency — at once. Many companies have successfully embedded this thinking into their DNA.
From a societal standpoint, citizens endowed with this view would consider the impact of energy decisions more broadly.
They would consider energy not just as a given, and would not seek to have it plentiful and free, but rather they would use it more wisely and respectfully. Running democratic processes, like a referendum, where citizens do not appreciate the strategic value of energy, may lead to socio-economic setbacks. Some governments are intelligent enough to introduce corrective measures, but these take years to materialize.
For these reasons, we organize thought-provoking energy debates across the broader energy sector, including energy users, such as industry players, transportation companies, data centers, etc., energy efficiency companies, etc. We also attract senior leaders who share this approach and promote energy literacy with educational programs from a young age to board level.
If you are interested in tailored energy education programs, ranging from nationwide programs to boardroom programs, reach out to marco@ energyleadership.ch.
If you wish to hear directly from senior energy leaders their success stories in applying holistic energy thinking to their businesses, join us for the Energy
Leadership Forum at the Mountain Plaza Hotel in Davos at 1400-1545 on Wednesday, 22nd. See details below.
Who are we? The INSEAD Energy Club Switzerland is a highly motivated group of INSEAD Alumni, with a background in senior leadership roles from various energy sectors — including hydroelectricity, coal, hydrogen, oil and gas, nuclear, electronics — who look at energy matters in a holistic way and promote open energy debate. In the last four years, we have hosted events with companies including Swissgrid, Trafigura, EDF, AP Ventures, Hydrogenious, Port of Rotterdam, Climeworks, and Electriq Global.
What we are doing in Davos? We are hosting the Energy Leadership Forum 2025, “The Great Energy Shift: from Cost to Strategic Resource,” with three panels on energy as a strategic resource, energy in the boardroom, and energy education. The event is sponsored by ABB, SBB, Edison Electric Institute, Energy Infrastructure Partners, Blykalla, INSEAD Energy Club Switzerland, who will be speaking together with C-suite, co-founders, and senior leaders from Newcleo, GE Vernova, TVP Solar, Zurich School of Applied Science, Lyten, and Rockwool. Join us at the Mountain Plaza Hotel 4* in Davos at 1400 — 1545 on Wednesday, 22nd.
The benefits of this approach are multifold.
From a business standpoint, this view enables raising energy from the operations manager's office to the boardroom. Strategic decisions can now aspire to tackle several critical strategic and systemic issues — economic gains, cost reduction, GHG emission reduction, energy intensity reduction, energy resilience, energy efficiency — at once. Many companies have successfully embedded this thinking into their DNA.
From a societal standpoint, citizens endowed with this view would consider the impact of energy decisions more broadly.
They would consider energy not just as a given, and would not seek to have it plentiful and free, but rather they would use it more wisely and respectfully. Running democratic processes, like a referendum, where citizens do not appreciate the strategic value of energy, may lead to socio-economic setbacks. Some governments are intelligent enough to introduce corrective measures, but these take years to materialize.
For these reasons, we organize thought-provoking energy debates across the broader energy sector, including energy users, such as industry players, transportation companies, data centers, etc., energy efficiency companies, etc. We also attract senior leaders who share this approach and promote energy literacy with educational programs from a young age to board level.
If you are interested in tailored energy education programs, ranging from nationwide programs to boardroom programs, reach out to marco@ energyleadership.ch.
If you wish to hear directly from senior energy leaders their success stories in applying holistic energy thinking to their businesses, join us for the Energy
Leadership Forum at the Mountain Plaza Hotel in Davos at 1400-1545 on Wednesday, 22nd. See details below.
Who are we? The INSEAD Energy Club Switzerland is a highly motivated group of INSEAD Alumni, with a background in senior leadership roles from various energy sectors — including hydroelectricity, coal, hydrogen, oil and gas, nuclear, electronics — who look at energy matters in a holistic way and promote open energy debate. In the last four years, we have hosted events with companies including Swissgrid, Trafigura, EDF, AP Ventures, Hydrogenious, Port of Rotterdam, Climeworks, and Electriq Global.
What we are doing in Davos? We are hosting the Energy Leadership Forum 2025, “The Great Energy Shift: from Cost to Strategic Resource,” with three panels on energy as a strategic resource, energy in the boardroom, and energy education. The event is sponsored by ABB, SBB, Edison Electric Institute, Energy Infrastructure Partners, Blykalla, INSEAD Energy Club Switzerland, who will be speaking together with C-suite, co-founders, and senior leaders from Newcleo, GE Vernova, TVP Solar, Zurich School of Applied Science, Lyten, and Rockwool. Join us at the Mountain Plaza Hotel 4* in Davos at 1400 — 1545 on Wednesday, 22nd.
Since reality and politics can be explained in energy terms comprehensively, there is merit in exploring the possibility of making business decisions based on energy considerations, rather than just economics. And unsurprisingly, many organizations, beyond what is referred to as the Energy Sector — oil and gas, electricity suppliers, etc. — take strategic decisions driven by energy reflections. For instance, SBB, the
railway company of Switzerland, well-known for its reliability, is typically described as a transportation company. The reality is that at the board level, they consider themselves also as an energy company. SBB is indeed a large user of electricity, but it is also a supplier of electricity and the second-largest electric transmission grid in Switzerland, after Swissgrid. Who would have thought? These and similar considerations are crucial for SBB to be a reference for reliable mobility supply.
The benefits of this approach are multifold.
The benefits of this approach are multifold.
From a business standpoint, this view enables raising energy from the operations manager's office to the boardroom. Strategic decisions can now aspire to tackle several critical strategic and systemic issues — economic gains, cost reduction, GHG emission reduction, energy intensity reduction, energy resilience, energy efficiency — at once. Many companies have successfully embedded this thinking into their DNA.
From a societal standpoint, citizens endowed with this view would consider the impact of energy decisions more broadly.
From a societal standpoint, citizens endowed with this view would consider the impact of energy decisions more broadly.
They would consider energy not just as a given, and would not seek to have it plentiful and free, but rather they would use it more wisely and respectfully. Running democratic processes, like a referendum, where citizens do not appreciate the strategic value of energy, may lead to socio-economic setbacks. Some governments are intelligent enough to introduce corrective measures, but these take years to materialize.
For these reasons, we organize thought-provoking energy debates across the broader energy sector, including energy users,
For these reasons, we organize thought-provoking energy debates across the broader energy sector, including energy users,
such as industry players, transportation companies, data centers, etc., energy efficiency companies, etc. We also attract senior leaders who share this approach and promote energy literacy with educational programs from a young age to board level.
If you are interested in tailored energy education programs, ranging from nationwide programs to boardroom programs, reach out to marco@ energyleadership.ch.
If you wish to hear directly from senior energy leaders their success stories in applying holistic energy thinking to their businesses, join us for the Energy
If you are interested in tailored energy education programs, ranging from nationwide programs to boardroom programs, reach out to marco@ energyleadership.ch.
If you wish to hear directly from senior energy leaders their success stories in applying holistic energy thinking to their businesses, join us for the Energy
Leadership Forum at the Mountain Plaza Hotel in Davos at 1400-1545 on Wednesday, 22nd. See details below.
Who are we? The INSEAD Energy Club Switzerland is a highly motivated group of INSEAD Alumni, with a background in senior leadership roles from various energy sectors — including hydroelectricity, coal, hydrogen, oil and gas, nuclear, electronics — who look at energy matters in a holistic way and promote open energy debate. In the last four years, we have hosted events with companies including Swissgrid, Trafigura, EDF, AP Ventures, Hydrogenious, Port of Rotterdam, Climeworks, and Electriq Global.
Who are we? The INSEAD Energy Club Switzerland is a highly motivated group of INSEAD Alumni, with a background in senior leadership roles from various energy sectors — including hydroelectricity, coal, hydrogen, oil and gas, nuclear, electronics — who look at energy matters in a holistic way and promote open energy debate. In the last four years, we have hosted events with companies including Swissgrid, Trafigura, EDF, AP Ventures, Hydrogenious, Port of Rotterdam, Climeworks, and Electriq Global.
What we are doing in Davos? We are hosting the Energy Leadership Forum 2025, “The Great Energy Shift: from Cost to Strategic Resource,” with three panels on energy as a strategic resource, energy in the boardroom, and energy education. The event is sponsored by ABB, SBB, Edison Electric Institute, Energy Infrastructure Partners, Blykalla, INSEAD Energy Club Switzerland, who will be speaking together with C-suite, co-founders, and senior leaders from Newcleo, GE Vernova, TVP Solar, Zurich School of Applied Science, Lyten, and Rockwool. Join us at the Mountain Plaza Hotel 4* in Davos at 1400 — 1545 on Wednesday, 22nd.