-
Macron presents Trump with proposals to curb oil prices
French President Emmanuel Macron has presented US President Donald Trump with several proposals to curb the rise in oil prices that is paralyzing the global economy. According to diplomatic sources, the meeting in New York on Monday focused on a UN resolution regarding the Strait of Hormuz and the security of Saudi Arabian energy facilities.…
-
Saudi Arabia cuts oil shipments to Europe – fuel prices likely to rise further
Riyadh – Saudi Aramco is apparently cutting contractual oil supplies to Europe in October. At least two European refinery customers have already received a zero allocation for the coming month. According to Bloomberg, however, the decision affects all European contract customers. The move was triggered by the major drone attack on the Saudi East-West Pipeline…
-
Economic upturn: Merz sees signs of hope – but industry continues to cut jobs
A commentary by our author Klaus Bastian: Chancellor Friedrich Merz sees “initial signs of hope” for an economic upturn, pointing to rising real wages, improved sentiment, and numerous new start-ups. At the same time, however, unemployment is rising as the industrial sector cuts tens of thousands of jobs, closes plants, and shifts production abroad. Furthermore,…
-
US power grid under heavy strain: Department of Energy issues emergency order
Washington – An exceptionally strained operating situation arose on September 17, 2026, within the US power grid managed by the regional grid operator PJM Interconnection. PJM coordinates the electricity supply for approximately 67 million people across parts of 13 states and Washington, D.C. Unusually hot September weather coincided with scheduled transmission line maintenance and the…
-
Volksbank Braunschweig-Wolfsburg posts €608 million loss: Now the dominoes are toppling
Braunschweig/Wolfsburg – Two developments are currently converging at Volksbank BraWo (short for Volksbank Braunschweig-Wolfsburg). The bank is reporting a preliminary loss of €608.1 million for 2025 following significant write-downs. Real estate accounts for around 80 percent of these impairments, while the cooperative network is providing support totaling up to €720 million. At the same time,…
Blackout News on Social Media
-
Sources: France considering participation in securing Saudi energy infrastructure
According to diplomatic sources, France is considering participating in the protection of energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia that has been targeted by the pro-Iranian Houthis. French diplomatic sources stated on Monday (local time) that France stands “ready to contribute—within the framework of a purely defensive approach—to securing Saudi energy infrastructure in Yanbu and along the…
-
Power shortage in the Carolinas: Duke Energy calls for conservation and activates emergency reserves
On September 18, Duke Energy responded to a looming power shortage in North and South Carolina. Consumption surged due to extreme heat, with the utility anticipating a peak load of approximately 20,102 megawatts for the afternoon. Consequently, millions of customers were asked to reduce their electricity usage between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. At the…
-
Another battery fire in Moss Landing: Vistra fails to fully get fire risk under control
On September 18, 2026, another fire broke out at Vistra’s battery storage facility in Moss Landing, California. The battery fire began around 6:15 a.m. in the “Moss 300” building, which had already sustained severe damage in 2025. According to Vistra, approximately 1,200 charged battery modules ignited. As a result, residents within a radius of about…
-
Job cuts at RTL: Another 500 full-time positions to go following Sky acquisition
Cologne and Unterföhring – Job cuts at RTL are entering the next phase following the acquisition of Sky Deutschland. Around 500 full-time equivalent positions are set to be eliminated by the end of 2027, with the group planning to cut the majority of these roles as early as 2026. The move aims to eliminate redundant…
-
Commissioning of LNG terminal in Stade in preparation
Preparations are underway to launch Germany’s fourth state-managed liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal following a long delay. The state-owned operator, Deutsche Energy Terminal (DET), announced on Wednesday that the terminal vessel Energos Force had docked at the Stade-Bützfleth industrial port on Tuesday. Because the facility’s launch had been delayed, the vessel had been chartered…
-
United Internet is cutting around 800 jobs at IONOS and 1&1 Versatel
Montabaur, September 10, 2026: United Internet is launching a major workforce reduction at its subsidiaries IONOS and 1&1 Versatel. A total of approximately 800 full-time positions are set to be cut, with around 450 jobs affected at IONOS and about 350 at Versatel. The companies aim to simplify structures, consolidate technical platforms, and increase process…
-
Health insurance funds have invested 1.1 billion euros in risky investments
Berlin, September 2026: Federally supervised health insurance funds have invested around €1.1 billion in financial assets where repayment is now at risk. Of this amount, approximately €400 million is already considered lost or severely written down in the funds’ accounts. Just over €700 million remains on the books, though a portion of this could also…
-
New study reveals Germany’s dangerous vulnerabilities in the event of a disaster
An international study examines which nations are best equipped to survive global catastrophes. The analysis covers scenarios such as nuclear war, severe pandemics, asteroid impacts, volcanic eruptions, and the large-scale collapse of critical infrastructure, such as a blackout. According to lead author Florian Ulrich Jehn, Germany exhibits significant vulnerabilities in the event of a catastrophe,…
-
Report: Banks criticize energy policy in letter to Minister Reiche
According to a media report, several banking institutions have criticized the federal government’s planned energy laws. A letter addressed to Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) and Federal Network Agency head Klaus Müller states that the success of the energy transition depends—in addition to solid planning—”crucially on the broad availability of financing,” according to the…
-
Coal demand hits record: LNG supply disruptions drive coal back into the power system
The International Energy Agency has significantly raised its forecast for global coal demand. Instead of a decline, it now expects a 1.2 percent increase to 8.94 billion tonnes by 2026. This shift is primarily driven by a slump in LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and sharply higher gas prices. Consequently, several countries are…