Today on Switched On we talk to Dr. Julia Attwood, Head of Advanced Materials for BNEF about bioplastics. Bioplastics comprise just about 1% of the plastics market right now, but its share is growing. Concern about plastic waste in the environment, climate change, and product sustainability has driven interest in bioplastics, though additional capacity has been slow-going. 



Julia walks us through the basics and what could push bioplastics to be a more significant part of our daily lives. 



Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor and Dana Perkins.

Today on Switched On we talk to Dr. Julia Attwood, Head of Advanced Materials for BNEF about bioplastics. Bioplastics comprise just about 1% of the plastics market right now, but its share is growing. Concern about plastic waste in the environment, climate change, and product sustainability has driven interest in bioplastics, though additional capacity has been slow-going.  Julia walks us through the basics and what could push bioplastics to be a more significant part of our daily lives.  Switched On is hosted this week by Mark Taylor and Dana Perkins.

The future of energy, transport, sustainability and more, as told by BNEF analysts. Each week, Dana Perkins and Tom Rowlands-Rees sit down with BloombergNEF (BNEF) analysts to uncover the key findings and stories behind their latest research.

The future of energy, transport, sustainability and more, as told by BNEF analysts. Each week, Dana Perkins and Tom Rowlands-Rees sit down with BloombergNEF (BNEF) analysts to uncover the key findings and stories behind their latest research.

The future of energy, transport, sustainability and more from Bloomberg analysts

Switched On

Bioplastics: Beyond recycling

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/cc891b23-63d5-4c99-8e48-ae3c0014d148/transcript

What does it take to build an electric-vehicle charging network that really works? As EV adoption accelerates, charging operators are shifting from installing as many chargers as possible to designing networks that can reliably attract drivers, manage grid constraints and generate sustainable returns. At the same time, retail partnerships, on-site batteries, battery swapping and dedicated charging for commercial fleets are reshaping the economics of the sector. On today’s show, Tom Rowlands-Rees is joined by Madeleine Brolly and Ash Wang, two of BloombergNEF’s EV charging analysts, to review findings from their note “Public Charging Utilization 2026: Demand Keeps Rising” and discuss how EV charging must evolve as clean cars become an ever greater part of the global energy system.

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com

Links to research notes from this episode:

Public Charging Utilization 2026: Demand Keeps Rising - https://www.bnef.com/insights/39379

What does it take to build an electric-vehicle charging network that really works? As EV adoption accelerates, charging operators are shifting from installing as many chargers as possible to designing networks that can reliably attract drivers, manage grid constraints and generate sustainable returns. At the same time, retail partnerships, on-site batteries, battery swapping and dedicated charging for commercial fleets are reshaping the economics of the sector. On today&rsquo;s show, Tom Rowlands-Rees is joined by Madeleine Brolly and Ash Wang, two of BloombergNEF&rsquo;s EV charging analysts, to review findings from their note &ldquo;Public Charging Utilization 2026: Demand Keeps Rising&rdquo; and discuss how EV charging must evolve as clean cars become an ever greater part of the global energy system.
Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF&lt;GO&gt; on the Bloomberg Terminal or on <a href="https://www.bnef.com/">bnef.com</a>
Links to research notes from this episode:
Public Charging Utilization 2026: Demand Keeps Rising - <a href="https://www.bnef.com/insights/39379">https://www.bnef.com/insights/39379</a>

The Hidden Economics of EV Charging Networks

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/aea6eaef-d170-4da9-8685-b4790158a091/transcript

Australia is becoming a proving ground for the future of electricity markets. With renewables now supplying a large share of generation and batteries being deployed at unprecedented scale, the country is offering an early look at how power systems operate when storage becomes a central part of the grid. Yet batteries’ remarkable success in the country brings with it new challenges, as growing competition begins to erode the arbitrage opportunities that drove the sector’s early growth. So what happens when batteries move from a niche technology to a core part of the power system, and what can Australia’s experience teach the rest of the world? On today’s show, Kobad Bhavnagri is joined by  joined by Sahaj Sood, an associate from BNEF’s Australian research team, to review findings from his notes “Australia Energy Storage Update 2026: Arbs and Flows” and “Batteries Supercharge Australia’s Solar and Wind Economics.”

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com

Links to research notes from this episode:

Australia Energy Storage Update 2026: Arbs and Flows - https://www.bnef.com/insights/39303

Batteries Supercharge Australia’s Solar and Wind Economics - https://www.bnef.com/insights/39135

Australia is becoming a proving ground for the future of electricity markets. With renewables now supplying a large share of generation and batteries being deployed at unprecedented scale, the country is offering an early look at how power systems operate when storage becomes a central part of the grid. Yet batteries&rsquo; remarkable success in the country brings with it new challenges, as growing competition begins to erode the arbitrage opportunities that drove the sector&rsquo;s early growth. So what happens when batteries move from a niche technology to a core part of the power system, and what can Australia&rsquo;s experience teach the rest of the world? On today&rsquo;s show, Kobad Bhavnagri is joined by&nbsp; joined by Sahaj Sood, an associate from BNEF&rsquo;s Australian research team, to review findings from his notes &ldquo;Australia Energy Storage Update 2026: Arbs and Flows&rdquo; and &ldquo;Batteries Supercharge Australia&rsquo;s Solar and Wind Economics.&rdquo;
Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF&lt;GO&gt; on the Bloomberg Terminal or on <a href="https://www.bnef.com/">bnef.com</a>
Links to research notes from this episode:
Australia Energy Storage Update 2026: Arbs and Flows - <a href="https://www.bnef.com/insights/39303">https://www.bnef.com/insights/39303</a>
Batteries Supercharge Australia&rsquo;s Solar and Wind Economics - <a href="https://www.bnef.com/insights/39135">https://www.bnef.com/insights/39135</a>

Battery Boom Is Upending Australian Power Market Rules

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8384bb05-787d-467c-9eeb-b47300740b46/transcript

As power grids become more digital and interconnected, they are also becoming more exposed. Utilities are facing a growing mix of physical and cyber threats, from attacks on substations to increasingly sophisticated efforts to infiltrate the systems used to monitor and operate the grid. Smart meters, distributed energy resources and connected devices are creating new vulnerabilities, while AI has the potential to both strengthen defenses and lower the barrier to more complex attacks. Yet security spending remains difficult to prioritize, forcing utilities and regulators to weigh uncertain risks against other pressing investment needs. So how should the power sector think about grid security, and what does resilience look like in an increasingly connected energy system? On today’s show, Tom Rowlands-Rees is joined by Hayley Lai, an analyst from BNEF’s grids team, to discuss findings from her note “Physical and Cyber Threats Reshape US Grid Investment.”

Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF<GO> on the Bloomberg Terminal or on bnef.com

Links to research notes from this episode:

Physical and Cyber Threats Reshape US Grid Investment - https://www.bnef.com/insights/39285

As power grids become more digital and interconnected, they are also becoming more exposed. Utilities are facing a growing mix of physical and cyber threats, from attacks on substations to increasingly sophisticated efforts to infiltrate the systems used to monitor and operate the grid. Smart meters, distributed energy resources and connected devices are creating new vulnerabilities, while AI has the potential to both strengthen defenses and lower the barrier to more complex attacks. Yet security spending remains difficult to prioritize, forcing utilities and regulators to weigh uncertain risks against other pressing investment needs. So how should the power sector think about grid security, and what does resilience look like in an increasingly connected energy system? On today&rsquo;s show, Tom Rowlands-Rees is joined by Hayley Lai, an analyst from BNEF&rsquo;s grids team, to discuss findings from her note &ldquo;Physical and Cyber Threats Reshape US Grid Investment.&rdquo;
Complementary BNEF research on the trends driving the transition to a lower-carbon economy can be found at BNEF&lt;GO&gt; on the Bloomberg Terminal or on <a href="https://www.bnef.com/">bnef.com</a>
Links to research notes from this episode:
Physical and Cyber Threats Reshape US Grid Investment - <a href="https://www.bnef.com/insights/39285">https://www.bnef.com/insights/39285</a>

Defending the Power Grid in an Age of Digital Threats

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e82227e0-defc-4a10-8254-b46c01636cc1/transcript

Bioplastics: Beyond recycling

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