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In Norway, around 73 percent of households heat with electricity. This makes many buildings vulnerable during a blackout. During prolonged power outages, the heat supply quickly collapses. Therefore, Norway’s building code TEK17 mandates that new buildings must have a chimney specifically designed for the later installation of a non-electric heating appliance. Chimney requirement provides backup […]

The terrorist attack on a cable bridge in southwest Berlin led to a widespread power outage. Repairing the damaged connection took several days. During this time, numerous residents in Steglitz-Zehlendorf had to manage without electricity, and in many places, the heating also failed. Because the attack struck a central connection in Berlin’s power grid, the

The Federal Network Agency plans to make battery storage systems contribute to grid costs in the future, thereby calling into question a key exemption rule. This could also affect home storage systems, even though they are significantly smaller than large-scale systems. Until now, newly installed, grid-connected storage systems were exempt from grid fees for 20

In Germany, factories are closing while corporations are building new capacities in Eastern Europe. This no longer just affects suppliers or individual locations. Even large DAX-listed companies are relocating production and investments. As a result, jobs, supply chains, and industrial know-how are gradually migrating away. Hungary is attracting the most companies. (berliner-zeitung: 29.01.26) DAX-listed companies

Germany continues to make grand promises regarding hydrogen, with the federal government planning to secure €1.3 billion in funding for green hydrogen from Denmark. This funding is aimed at a pipeline scheduled to begin deliveries in 2030. At the same time, one domestic project after another is collapsing, making these further subsidies appear to pose

Poland is explicitly targeting Chinese electric cars with its new security regulations because connected vehicles generate and transmit vast amounts of data. Cameras, sensors, and radar systems record the environment, routes, and driving patterns. From the Ministry of Defense’s perspective, this very data trail can become relevant for espionage if access and data flow are

The energy partnership that Habeck announced with much fanfare in 2022 following his negotiations with Qatar has yet to bring Germany any LNG. The Ministry of Economic Affairs confirmed to Apollo News that Germany is currently “not importing any LNG from Qatar.” The ministry declined to provide any concrete delivery commitments. Instead, according to the

Friedrich Merz calls wind power a transitional technology, even though the expansion of offshore wind farms and grids is planned for decades to come. Nevertheless, he links this expansion to a grand vision for the future. He says Germany should “connect the world’s first fusion reactor to the grid.” At the same time, electricity prices

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.