Data centers are not the energy transition’s problem: they can be part of the solution

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, September 4, 2026. Spain needs more renewable generation, but it also needs new electricity demand capable of absorbing it. The regulation proposed for data centers is demanding, but it opens an opportunity to link new demand with new generation, storage and PPAs. The growth of data centers has become one of the […]
Electricity and gas futures point to a winter of high prices in Europe

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, September 2, 2026. Electricity futures have risen sharply in Europe over the summer, amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and rising gas prices. The rise increases hedging costs for large consumers and electro-intensive industry, while higher price curves may improve the bankability of renewable PPAs. Rise in electricity futures prices Electricity […]
European electricity markets registered higher wind energy production and lower prices in the fourth week of August

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, August 31, 2026. In the fourth week of August, weekly prices fell in most European electricity markets. A widespread increase in wind energy production supported this trend, with Italy as the exception. Portugal set a wind energy production record for an August day. Brent futures fell. In contrast, TTF gas futures rose, […]
800 articles telling the story of a historic transformation of the energy sector

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, August 27, 2026. Since 2019, AleaSoft Energy Forecasting has been publishing regular analysis on electricity markets, renewables and the sector’s major changes in El Periódico de la Energía. This 800th publication is an opportunity to look back and see just how much the energy sector has changed in barely seven years. Eight […]
Battery de-rating in the capacity mechanism: what the residual demand data show

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, August 26, 2026. With the first capacity mechanism auction on the horizon, one discussion carries a direct impact on storage revenues, the batteries’ de-rating coefficient. The extension of Almaraz to 2030 also requires a review of the analyses underpinning the mechanism. Data on Spain’s mainland residual demand from 2021 to 2025 show […]
Gas, futures and hedging: when waiting is also a risk decision

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, August 25, 2026. The rebound in TTF gas and its impact on electricity market prices puts the spotlight once again on the purchasing strategies of large consumers. In a highly volatile environment, deciding when and how much to hedge requires analysing not only market prices, but also the risks and outlook for […]
TTF gas at its highest since January 2023 drives up European electricity market prices in the third week of August

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, August 24, 2026. In the third week of August, weekly average prices rose in most of the main European electricity markets. The increase in TTF gas and CO₂ and the fall in solar energy production drove this trend. In Spain, Portugal and Italy, higher wind energy production and lower demand favored the […]
Extreme heat tests Europe’s electricity systems: demand, generation and prices under pressure

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, August 21, 2026. This summer’s heatwaves are simultaneously affecting different European electricity systems, though through different channels. They increase cooling-related electricity demand, constrain generation availability and raise price volatility. The episodes recorded in Spain, France, Italy, Romania and Hungary show why anticipating these risks requires a view across the whole of Europe’s […]
European gas reserves at their lowest in recent years: pressure on summer prices and risk for the winter

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, August 19, 2026. The European Union’s gas reserves currently stand at around 61% of their capacity, the lowest level for this time of year in recent years, even below the level recorded in 2021. In recent days, gas prices have risen and, on August 18, TTF gas futures reached their highest value […]
Almaraz extension to 2030: gas, prices, renewable energy curtailment and capacity market

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, August 18, 2026. The extension of the Almaraz nuclear power plant until June 2030 reduces the electricity system’s short-term exposure to gas and to its prices. At the same time, it increases the pressure to integrate a growing renewable capacity and may raise the risk of curtailment, while it changes the assumptions […]
European electricity market prices rise in the second week of August driven by gas and lower wind energy production

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, August 17, 2026. In the second week of August, weekly prices increased in the main European electricity markets, except in Italy, and exceeded 128 €/MWh, except in the Nord Pool market. The rise in TTF gas prices and the fall in wind energy production favored this trend. Germany and Portugal set solar photovoltaic […]
The low coincidence between markets of the days with the highest spreads favours the diversification of battery portfolios

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting, August 12, 2026. The days with the highest intraday spreads in Spain show little coincidence with those of the markets of central and northern Europe. The different dynamics that condition spreads in each region mean that the best arbitrage opportunities do not necessarily occur on the same days. For pan-European battery portfolios, […]