Plugged In: the energy news podcast
A Geopolitical State of Emergency?
Plugged In: the energy news podcast
•February 12, 2026•36 min
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Plugged In: the energy news podcast•Feb 12, 2026
Why It Matters
Understanding these geopolitical shocks is critical for policymakers, investors, and consumers as they shape the future stability and affordability of European energy. The episode’s timely insights help stakeholders anticipate supply disruptions and accelerate the transition to more secure, diversified energy systems.
Key Takeaways
- •Europe risks new LNG dependence on United States.
- •Cold weather drives natural gas demand, tightening storage levels.
- •Heavy industry spending boosts electricity consumption, tightening gas market.
- •Strait of Hormuz remains a potential LNG supply risk.
- •Arctic geopolitics, including Greenland, could reshape energy security.
Pulse Analysis
The episode opens with a stark reminder that 2026’s energy landscape is being reshaped by geopolitical flashpoints—from Russia’s ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s grid to escalating US‑Iran tensions. Experts note that Europe’s post‑war pivot away from Russian gas has accelerated, yet a new reliance on American LNG is emerging, raising concerns about another single‑source dependency. Meanwhile, the market has surprisingly settled back to fundamentals, with oil prices calm and natural‑gas prices easing after a February spike, underscoring how weather and geopolitical risk interact in today’s energy pricing.
A second theme centers on supply‑demand balance. A prolonged cold spell across Europe has driven natural‑gas consumption, leaving German storage below 30% and prompting urgent summer‑fill strategies. At the same time, heavy‑industry investment—spurred by heightened defense budgets in Germany, Poland and the Netherlands—has lifted electricity and gas demand, tightening the market despite an overall oversupplied global outlook. Analysts warn that delayed LNG projects and inverted summer‑winter spreads could send mixed price signals, complicating storage replenishment and long‑term planning.
The final discussion turns to high‑risk chokepoints and Arctic ambitions. The Strait of Hormuz, once a pure oil conduit, now threatens LNG flows; any disruption could reverberate across Europe’s gas supply chain. Parallelly, renewed US interest in Greenland and broader Arctic access highlights a strategic contest for resource‑rich territories as climate change opens new shipping routes. These geopolitical undercurrents suggest that Europe must diversify supplies, bolster storage resilience, and monitor emerging Arctic disputes to safeguard its energy security in an increasingly volatile world.
Episode Description
As tensions between Iran and the US intensify, Russian mounts fresh attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and President Trump softens his stance on the US grab for Greenland, France´s President Macron has warned Europe about a false sense of security, even a state of emergency.
In this episode, Richard speaks to our guests in front of a live audience at E-world in Essen, Germany, about the outlook for Europe's supply and demand under these ongoing geopolitical rumblings: Listen to a discussion on the most important threats to Europe's energy security.
Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News
Guests:
Henning Gloystein - Managing Director of Energy and Resources, Eurasia Group
Hanns Koenig - Managing Director, Aurora Energy Research EMEA
Tobias Federico - Chief Analyst, Montel
Contributor: Mai Rosner - Investigative Reporter, Montel News
Editor: Oscar Birk
Producer: Sarah Knowles
Show Notes
As tensions between Iran and the US intensify, Russian mounts fresh attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and President Trump softens his stance on the US grab for Greenland, France´s President Macron has warned Europe about a false sense of security, even a state of emergency.
In this episode, Richard speaks to our guests in front of a live audience at E-world in Essen, Germany, about the outlook for Europe's supply and demand under these ongoing geopolitical rumblings: Listen to a discussion on the most important threats to Europe's energy security.
Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel News
Guests:
Henning Gloystein - Managing Director of Energy and Resources, Eurasia Group
Hanns Koenig - Managing Director, Aurora Energy Research EMEA
Tobias Federico - Chief Analyst, Montel
Contributor: Mai Rosner - Investigative Reporter, Montel News
Editor: Oscar Birk
Producer: Sarah Knowles
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