Dr Ryan Williams is Chief Economist at ENODA

As a former Director of Economic Consulting leading the energy economics practice at Grant Thornton UK, he was instrumental in shaping various facets of the regulated and deregulated energy supply chain. His advisory reach also permeated other regulated sectors, notably water and telecoms, in the UK and Ireland. Before this, he was a Principal at Oxera in London, overseeing a multitude of regulatory initiatives across industries like electricity, gas, telecoms, water, and transport. At Oxera, he notably led the firm’s Paris office from 2020 to 2022 and managed critical regulatory appeals with Competition Authorities across Europe, including France, Germany, Belgium, and Finland.

Dr Ryan Williams will examine how the energy transition is placing growing stress on grid balancing mechanisms, as rising renewable penetration pushes electricity systems toward their operational limits. Drawing on empirical evidence from European power markets, he will show that balancing costs rise non-linearly with renewable share, and that these costs are best understood as insurance premiums against the tail risk of system failure. The talk is essential for anyone who wants to understand the hidden financial pressures behind the clean energy transition.