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Mainz Solar Slapstick: Prestige Solar Power Project Remains Unconnected
Since March 2025, a facility in Mainz-Mombach—once a flagship project for sustainable sports venues—has stood without a usable electricity connection. The city installed photovoltaic modules with a peak capacity of 60 kilowatts on the roof of the new grandstand. According to plans, these could generate around 55,000 kilowatt-hours of solar power annually. However, the intended…
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Power outage in Bad Krozingen: Excavator knocks out 60 distribution stations – 3,600 households affected
A widespread power outage affected Bad Krozingen, Ebringen, and Pfaffenweiler on August 11. An excavator likely damaged a power cable during construction work on Hofstraße in Bad Krozingen. As a result, around 60 distribution substations failed, and approximately 3,600 households temporarily lost power. The town of Bad Krozingen subsequently set up a crisis management team.…
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“You are simply a crazy country” – Kachelmann criticizes Germany’s heat protection measures
Germany – Meteorologist Jörg Kachelmann has sharply criticized Germany’s heat protection measures in light of the extraordinary temperatures. He considers the lack of air conditioning in schools, hospitals, and nursing homes to be a particularly serious shortcoming. His criticism is reinforced by recent health data; the Robert Koch Institute estimates there were around 12,500 heat-related…
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Carl Zeiss Meditec to cut up to 700 jobs – Jena also facing cutbacks
Jena – In early August 2026, Carl Zeiss Meditec detailed its cost-cutting program, projecting the loss of 600 to 700 jobs worldwide. In May, the medical technology company had cited up to 1,000 potentially affected positions. CFO Justus Felix Wehmer points primarily to weak business performance in China and the USA. Meanwhile, adjusted EBITA fell…
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DAX companies post record earnings in the second quarter – and cut 41,000 jobs
According to an analysis, companies in the German stock index (DAX) posted record earnings in the second quarter (April to June): the operating profit of the 40 corporations rose by 16 percent year-on-year to a record high of €52.6 billion, the consultancy firm EY announced on Friday. However, this growth was driven by only a…
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EU Packaging Regulation Enters into Force – Brussels Already Looking to Fix Flawed Design
Key provisions of the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) have been in effect across the European Union since August 12. While the regulation aims to reduce packaging waste and harmonize the internal market, small retailers in particular are facing difficulties due to additional obligations associated with shipping within the EU. Depending on the…
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The Mario Voigt Case: How a political farce is destroying ever more trust
A commentary by our author Klaus Bastian: In mid-August 2026, Thuringia’s Minister-President Mario Voigt is fighting against the revocation of his doctoral degree while simultaneously battling to hold onto his office. Chemnitz University of Technology rejected his formal objection, prompting the CDU politician to file suit at the Chemnitz Administrative Court. Nevertheless, Voigt refuses to…
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Tax hikes: The Union apparently agreed internally twice – now it wants to halt parts of them
Berlin – Internal emails between the Chancellery and the Federal Ministry of Finance are adding a new, contentious dimension to the tax dispute within the “Grand Coalition” (CDU/CSU and SPD). According to reporting by the Handelsblatt, the Union parties (CDU/CSU) had internally agreed to several planned tax hikes—apparently across two rounds of voting. Yet publicly,…
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Federal Network Agency registers 4,300 large-scale consumers for potential curtailment in the event of a power shortage
In August 2026, the Federal Network Agency will finalize its contingency plans for prolonged electricity shortages. Around 4,300 large-scale consumers are to be included in the electricity security platform. Registration applies to consumption points with an annual usage of eight gigawatt-hours or more; however, consumption curtailment is primarily envisaged for those consuming ten gigawatt-hours or…
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Jellyfish and heat cripple a fifth of France’s nuclear power generation
Heat, drought, and a jellyfish swarm have crippled around one-fifth of France’s nuclear power generation. On Wednesday, 20.4 percent of the country’s reactor capacity was offline, according to AFP calculations based on data from the nuclear utility EDF. In addition to a lack of cooling water caused by the prolonged drought, the primary cause is…
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US Offshore Wind: Trump Administration Pays RWE $1.22 Billion to Withdraw
Washington/Essen, August 2026. RWE is exiting the US offshore wind business and returning three lease areas off the coasts of New York, California, and Louisiana. In return, the Essen-based energy company will receive $1.22 billion from the US Department of the Interior. The sites could have supported projects with a combined capacity of around seven…
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EV subsidy backfires – State boosts competition for German automakers
Berlin, August 2026: The federal government’s e-car bonus is becoming a problematic instrument in terms of industrial policy. Private buyers have been able to apply for subsidies since May 19th, retroactively for new registrations since the beginning of the year. The federal government will provide three billion euros for this by 2029. At the same…
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Shell halts biofuel project – Group further withdraws from energy transition projects
Shell is further scaling back its involvement in major energy transition projects and has definitively abandoned plans for a biofuel plant in Rotterdam. The company halted construction following an economic and technical reassessment. High completion costs and weak market conditions rendered the project unprofitable in Shell’s view. At the same time, the company is selling…
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Nuclear fusion: Realta generates electricity directly from plasma for the first time
On June 19, 2026, in Madison, Wisconsin, Realta Fusion achieved a significant milestone in nuclear fusion. Conventional fusion power plant designs primarily generate electricity using heat, steam, and turbines. In contrast, Realta directly converted the kinetic energy of charged particles within the plasma into electric current. According to the company, this marked the first time…
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Low water levels: Transport and Environment Ministers at odds over river expansion
River expansion or restoration? There is disagreement within the federal cabinet regarding how to handle the current low-water situation. While Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) advocated for further expansion of waterways on Wednesday, Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) called for a return to more natural river courses. To address current transport bottlenecks caused…