In this episode of Energy Unplugged, we are delighted to welcome Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta, discussing the Alberta energy and power landscape with our Managing Director for North America, Oliver Kerr.

Danielle Smith, who was sworn in as the 19th Premier of Alberta in 2022, previously served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Highwood and the leader of the Official Opposition. Before returning to politics, she built a successful career in media and business, most recently as President of the Alberta Enterprise Group. Danielle holds degrees in both Economics and English from the University of Calgary.

Main topics include the following:

• Finding the right balance between decarbonisation, consumer affordability, and system reliability
• The roles of markets and government in addressing system reliability challenges
• The future of renewables in Alberta, with a focus on solar and wind energy

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In this episode of Energy Unplugged, we are delighted to welcome Katan Hirachand, Chief Executive & Chief Country Officer of Société Générale India. Katan will be discussing project finance in India with our Managing Director responsible for our activities in the region, Dan Monzani.

Katan oversees Société Générale’s Global Banking and Investor Solutions activities in India. With over two decades of global experience, he has held positions such as Co-head of Advisory and Project Finance for EMEA, and was responsible for the largest-ever project financing in Africa at USD 15.5 billion. Before joining Société Générale, Katan worked in commercial roles with BG Group in Brazil, Tunisia, Iran, and the UK.

Main topics include the following:

• Why do state lenders have a prominent role in India, and what opportunities exist for private lenders?
• How are projects being influenced by the emergence of commercial and industrial PPAs and the design of round-the-clock renewable electricity auctions?
• What is the potential of the green hydrogen market in India?

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In this episode of Energy Unplugged, we're delighted to welcome Mateo Jaramillo, co-founder and CEO of Form Energy. Mateo joins our Managing Director for North America, Oliver Kerr, and Zachary Edelen, a Senior Associate from our Austin office, to discuss long-duration battery storage.

Before co-founding and directing Form Energy, Mateo served as the Vice President of Products and Programs for Tesla's stationary energy storage program. In this role, he was responsible for defining Tesla Energy's product line and business model definition, as well as overseeing global policy and business development. Prior to working at Tesla, Mateo was the Chief Operating Officer and a founding member of Gaia Power Technologies, a pioneering distributed energy storage company. Currently, he also serves on the Board of Directors for the American Clean Power Association.

Main topics include the following:

• What are iron-air batteries and how do they work?
• The cost, duration, and efficiency of long-duration storage
• Are there any potential major competitors or alternatives to long-duration energy storage?

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