Sam Alvis
@samalvis.bsky.social
South West native, currently AD of Climate, Energy @IPPR - Climate/Econ policy (views mine)
Green industrial strategy | Bazball | @BristolBears
Green industrial strategy | Bazball | @BristolBears
Definitely worth a subscribe to Electrify Britain's new substack
"Ignore the noise. Electrification is the only thing that matters." open.substack.com/pub/electric...
"Ignore the noise. Electrification is the only thing that matters." open.substack.com/pub/electric...
Ignore the noise. Electrification is the only thing that matters.
Why the politics of energy keeps missing what actually matters.
open.substack.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Definitely worth a subscribe to Electrify Britain's new substack
"Ignore the noise. Electrification is the only thing that matters." open.substack.com/pub/electric...
"Ignore the noise. Electrification is the only thing that matters." open.substack.com/pub/electric...
Reposted by Sam Alvis
🚨 | NEW REPORT: Global shocks are exposing how fragile UK supply chains really are - driving up costs across the economy. Our latest analysis shows why resilient clean energy supply chains must be a priority, and what government should do next 👇 www.ippr.org/articles/res...
January 16, 2026 at 8:02 AM
🚨 | NEW REPORT: Global shocks are exposing how fragile UK supply chains really are - driving up costs across the economy. Our latest analysis shows why resilient clean energy supply chains must be a priority, and what government should do next 👇 www.ippr.org/articles/res...
I think it’s less their views or that they’re ex tories more that they look and sound like politicians even if you’ve never heard of them. That is bad for Farage’s brand and argument
Jenrick, Zahawi defecting surely now makes certain that Reform will be running as a small-state, economically right wing party at the next election.
Quite a big shift from the positioning they were flirting with just 12 months ago, and a new potential vulnerability for them.
Quite a big shift from the positioning they were flirting with just 12 months ago, and a new potential vulnerability for them.
Key line in Will Lloyd's piece on Robert Jenrick's sacking: "Jenrick had told friends in recent weeks that he thought Reform lacked a viable economic spokesperson or an eventual shadow chancellor."
Is that the job Jenrick has his eye on?
@willoyd.bsky.social
www.newstatesman.com/politics/con...
Is that the job Jenrick has his eye on?
@willoyd.bsky.social
www.newstatesman.com/politics/con...
January 15, 2026 at 7:33 PM
I think it’s less their views or that they’re ex tories more that they look and sound like politicians even if you’ve never heard of them. That is bad for Farage’s brand and argument
Reposted by Sam Alvis
Decarb Donald continues to make fossil fuels uninvestable. First at home and now abroad.
www.ft.com/content/9cbf...
www.ft.com/content/9cbf...
Oil prices tumble as fears of US action in Iran ease
Brent crude falls more than 4% as oversupply fears return
www.ft.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:24 AM
Decarb Donald continues to make fossil fuels uninvestable. First at home and now abroad.
www.ft.com/content/9cbf...
www.ft.com/content/9cbf...
Decarb Donald continues to make fossil fuels uninvestable. First at home and now abroad.
www.ft.com/content/9cbf...
www.ft.com/content/9cbf...
Oil prices tumble as fears of US action in Iran ease
Brent crude falls more than 4% as oversupply fears return
www.ft.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:24 AM
Decarb Donald continues to make fossil fuels uninvestable. First at home and now abroad.
www.ft.com/content/9cbf...
www.ft.com/content/9cbf...
Reposted by Sam Alvis
AR7 offshore wind results out. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696686...
8.5GW is top of end of what I was expecting and probably right on the line between waiting for costs to (maybe) fall and the supply chain needing certainty. Price of £91mwh is besides what critics will say - good value
8.5GW is top of end of what I was expecting and probably right on the line between waiting for costs to (maybe) fall and the supply chain needing certainty. Price of £91mwh is besides what critics will say - good value
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
January 14, 2026 at 7:49 AM
AR7 offshore wind results out. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696686...
8.5GW is top of end of what I was expecting and probably right on the line between waiting for costs to (maybe) fall and the supply chain needing certainty. Price of £91mwh is besides what critics will say - good value
8.5GW is top of end of what I was expecting and probably right on the line between waiting for costs to (maybe) fall and the supply chain needing certainty. Price of £91mwh is besides what critics will say - good value
On HMT- not often depts manage to double the budget for their thing. CfDs have been around for a long time, predictable ROI and market effects, HMT like that. They do what they know (see the budget argument over VAT cuts). So potentially easier to persuade here than say first of a kind investments.
January 14, 2026 at 8:21 AM
On HMT- not often depts manage to double the budget for their thing. CfDs have been around for a long time, predictable ROI and market effects, HMT like that. They do what they know (see the budget argument over VAT cuts). So potentially easier to persuade here than say first of a kind investments.
ha however much they feel the need to massage numbers for the year after election sure
January 14, 2026 at 8:17 AM
ha however much they feel the need to massage numbers for the year after election sure
Not a lot of this will be online by 2030. But that’s… fine? This is credit where it’s due government doing a good job of balancing cost, industrial development and energy needs.
January 14, 2026 at 7:51 AM
Not a lot of this will be online by 2030. But that’s… fine? This is credit where it’s due government doing a good job of balancing cost, industrial development and energy needs.
AR7 offshore wind results out. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696686...
8.5GW is top of end of what I was expecting and probably right on the line between waiting for costs to (maybe) fall and the supply chain needing certainty. Price of £91mwh is besides what critics will say - good value
8.5GW is top of end of what I was expecting and probably right on the line between waiting for costs to (maybe) fall and the supply chain needing certainty. Price of £91mwh is besides what critics will say - good value
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
January 14, 2026 at 7:49 AM
AR7 offshore wind results out. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/696686...
8.5GW is top of end of what I was expecting and probably right on the line between waiting for costs to (maybe) fall and the supply chain needing certainty. Price of £91mwh is besides what critics will say - good value
8.5GW is top of end of what I was expecting and probably right on the line between waiting for costs to (maybe) fall and the supply chain needing certainty. Price of £91mwh is besides what critics will say - good value
Are they? I can think of several outside london (e.g., Cirencester) where the former dept. store has becoming a mixed use thing with shopping, cafe, kids play. It's just a big open plan area normally with food licence. Housing probably a diff matter!
January 12, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Are they? I can think of several outside london (e.g., Cirencester) where the former dept. store has becoming a mixed use thing with shopping, cafe, kids play. It's just a big open plan area normally with food licence. Housing probably a diff matter!
For all the new arrivals
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Catch their latest #HotTakes on the issues that matter most.
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Catch their latest #HotTakes on the issues that matter most.
go.bsky.app/G58AktH
January 12, 2026 at 9:34 AM
For all the new arrivals
Yeh exactly like activities / mixed use is what you need to create but you have to ride out the years where the people with disposable time and income don’t want that
January 11, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Yeh exactly like activities / mixed use is what you need to create but you have to ride out the years where the people with disposable time and income don’t want that
Just put this in another thread - but yes the future of high streets is more people doing things but that’s not what people with the most disposable time and income want now
bsky.app/profile/sama...
bsky.app/profile/sama...
There’s also a mismatch. Spent a lot of time last year talking to people on their high street about their high streets. Take Colchester perfectly lovely - Older people thought it had gone to the dogs because it was cafes / restaurants / activities not a department store. Younger people delighted.
January 11, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Just put this in another thread - but yes the future of high streets is more people doing things but that’s not what people with the most disposable time and income want now
bsky.app/profile/sama...
bsky.app/profile/sama...
Older people blamed it all on a lack of parking. Most younger people we spoke to had housing right near the high street.
January 11, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Older people blamed it all on a lack of parking. Most younger people we spoke to had housing right near the high street.
There’s also a mismatch. Spent a lot of time last year talking to people on their high street about their high streets. Take Colchester perfectly lovely - Older people thought it had gone to the dogs because it was cafes / restaurants / activities not a department store. Younger people delighted.
January 11, 2026 at 7:42 PM
There’s also a mismatch. Spent a lot of time last year talking to people on their high street about their high streets. Take Colchester perfectly lovely - Older people thought it had gone to the dogs because it was cafes / restaurants / activities not a department store. Younger people delighted.
Reposted by Sam Alvis
Finished teaching a new course on energy markets and the clean energy transition last month. Was a blast and have lots of thoughts for next year.
One takeaway is the value of going beyond academic journals/textbooks and incorporating media articles, podcasts, and video. Here's a few we covered... 🧵
One takeaway is the value of going beyond academic journals/textbooks and incorporating media articles, podcasts, and video. Here's a few we covered... 🧵
January 11, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Finished teaching a new course on energy markets and the clean energy transition last month. Was a blast and have lots of thoughts for next year.
One takeaway is the value of going beyond academic journals/textbooks and incorporating media articles, podcasts, and video. Here's a few we covered... 🧵
One takeaway is the value of going beyond academic journals/textbooks and incorporating media articles, podcasts, and video. Here's a few we covered... 🧵
Reposted by Sam Alvis
Yet more evidence of the mismatch between the research system and societal needs....
Industry-funded PhDs decline by 20 per cent in 10 years.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...
Industry-funded PhDs decline by 20 per cent in 10 years - Research Professional News
Rise in cost of PhDs for companies shows “complexities of research funding”, NCUB warns
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:18 AM
Yet more evidence of the mismatch between the research system and societal needs....
Boiler broken and three cancelled trains for the 5 week old’s first train home home. But England didn’t lose 10+ wickets in a day. Is that a trade I’m happy with? No comment.
January 4, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Boiler broken and three cancelled trains for the 5 week old’s first train home home. But England didn’t lose 10+ wickets in a day. Is that a trade I’m happy with? No comment.
Reposted by Sam Alvis
2025
1) On a Sunbeam 2) Orbital is as good as people say, felt new 3) prophet song awful like truly terrifyingly bleak but incredible. The Need similarly. Wouldn’t advise both close together.
Janesville 2nd best non fiction over ever read
DNF - didn’t finish
NF - non fiction
GN - graphic novel
1) On a Sunbeam 2) Orbital is as good as people say, felt new 3) prophet song awful like truly terrifyingly bleak but incredible. The Need similarly. Wouldn’t advise both close together.
Janesville 2nd best non fiction over ever read
DNF - didn’t finish
NF - non fiction
GN - graphic novel
December 31, 2025 at 5:27 PM
2025
1) On a Sunbeam 2) Orbital is as good as people say, felt new 3) prophet song awful like truly terrifyingly bleak but incredible. The Need similarly. Wouldn’t advise both close together.
Janesville 2nd best non fiction over ever read
DNF - didn’t finish
NF - non fiction
GN - graphic novel
1) On a Sunbeam 2) Orbital is as good as people say, felt new 3) prophet song awful like truly terrifyingly bleak but incredible. The Need similarly. Wouldn’t advise both close together.
Janesville 2nd best non fiction over ever read
DNF - didn’t finish
NF - non fiction
GN - graphic novel
2025
1) On a Sunbeam 2) Orbital is as good as people say, felt new 3) prophet song awful like truly terrifyingly bleak but incredible. The Need similarly. Wouldn’t advise both close together.
Janesville 2nd best non fiction over ever read
DNF - didn’t finish
NF - non fiction
GN - graphic novel
1) On a Sunbeam 2) Orbital is as good as people say, felt new 3) prophet song awful like truly terrifyingly bleak but incredible. The Need similarly. Wouldn’t advise both close together.
Janesville 2nd best non fiction over ever read
DNF - didn’t finish
NF - non fiction
GN - graphic novel
December 31, 2025 at 5:27 PM
2025
1) On a Sunbeam 2) Orbital is as good as people say, felt new 3) prophet song awful like truly terrifyingly bleak but incredible. The Need similarly. Wouldn’t advise both close together.
Janesville 2nd best non fiction over ever read
DNF - didn’t finish
NF - non fiction
GN - graphic novel
1) On a Sunbeam 2) Orbital is as good as people say, felt new 3) prophet song awful like truly terrifyingly bleak but incredible. The Need similarly. Wouldn’t advise both close together.
Janesville 2nd best non fiction over ever read
DNF - didn’t finish
NF - non fiction
GN - graphic novel
💯 the most authentic narrative for govt is - rural concerns are the same as urban concerns: public services and infrastructure. Even on farming they’re such a small part of rural economies compared to services. But we end up in this regular they must only care about animal related things.
December 27, 2025 at 11:39 AM
💯 the most authentic narrative for govt is - rural concerns are the same as urban concerns: public services and infrastructure. Even on farming they’re such a small part of rural economies compared to services. But we end up in this regular they must only care about animal related things.