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The Federal Network Agency intends to evaluate network operators based on their “energy transition competence” and publish the results. This is less a technical regulatory tool than a form of public pressure on critical infrastructure, as a ranking can have a positive impact on a company’s reputation. At the same time, a crucial practical metric […]

At the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE), there are increasing signs that the agency is losing sight of its core task. It is supposed to drive the search for a final repository for nuclear waste, but it is increasingly communicating like a player in energy policy. This is problematic, because

The Berlin power outage in early January 2026 hit the southwest of the city during a period of severe cold. Temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius were recorded in Berlin during the affected nights. These sub-zero temperatures increased the risk of frost damage because stationary heating systems could cool down and freeze. Therefore,

Gas storage facilities in the Netherlands are even less full than in Germany. While storage levels in Germany were around 34 percent at the end of January, those in the Netherlands have recently been well below 30 percent. This situation increases the risk of gas flows to Germany being interrupted. A supply disruption from the

The Breitbrunn gas storage facility in Bavaria has reached a critically low fill level. At around 19 percent, it is significantly below the legally mandated target. At the same time, the operator, Uniper, is planning to decommission the facility. This will reduce the available gas reserves for southern Germany, while the ongoing winter continues to

Car insurance for electric vehicles is now often more expensive than for comparable gasoline or diesel cars. This is shown by a recent analysis from the comparison portal Verivox. According to the analysis, premiums for electric cars are “up to 44 percent higher under otherwise identical conditions” than those for the corresponding combustion engine model.

Denmark is officially including mini nuclear reactors in a state review process for the first time, thereby calling into question the nuclear power ban that has been in place since 1985. The government aims to make the long-term energy supply more stable with this change of course and is relying on a new assessment framework.

The supply of antibiotics is once again critical for certain medications because stocks of specific depot penicillins are expected to run out. The Federal Ministry of Health is reacting promptly to ensure that therapies are not interrupted. At the same time, the situation demonstrates how quickly a fragile supply chain can falter when only one

For many property owners, May 2026 will be a key date, as new EU regulations for energy performance certificates will then come into effect. Anyone wishing to sell or rent a property from this point onward will often need a newly issued energy performance certificate that meets the updated standard. Failure to provide a valid

The arctic cold is already noticeably impacting US gas production. The Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico is particularly affected, as temperatures there are dropping well below freezing. In the early morning hours, valves, measuring points, and manifolds are especially quickly pushed to their limits by the frost. (bloomberg: 24.01.26) Production freezes due to

The Berlin power outage last winter affected around 45,000 households. Energy economist Claudia Kemfert, head of the Energy, Transport, and Environment department at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), draws a clear conclusion: emergency power should be mandatory in new buildings. In her view, the problem wasn’t so much the grid itself, but

The German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) warn that wind turbines located near radar systems can interfere with military radar installations. They cite reflections, false echoes, and shadowing, as these can degrade the quality of the air situation picture. The Ministry of Defense therefore demanded strict building limits around air defense radars. However, this safety measure was

Plastic flowerpots are not a luxury item, but a functional means of transport. They hold the soil together, protect the roots, and prevent moisture from ending up in the car or home. Nevertheless, the EU wants to ban these flowerpots as single-use packaging. The goal sounds good, but the path to achieving it could create

Sweden is slowing down its climate protection efforts, even though the country was long considered a pioneer of the green transition. At times, the expansion of green energy and the pace of political action were significantly ahead of Germany and many other European countries. Now, however, economic thinking dominates, and the government is setting different

Several reports on the Federal Network Agency’s forecast currently highlight a key point: electricity prices could remain stable or even fall in 2026 because the expansion of renewable energies will increase supply and therefore have a price-dampening effect (welt: 27.12.25). This portrayal shapes public perception, especially since it is presented as a sign of success