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Espionage on wheels – Poland limits the operating range of Chinese electric cars
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
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No gas from Qatar – Habeck’s energy partnership still delivers no LNG
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
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Merz declares wind power a transitional technology – and sells nuclear fusion as a way out
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
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Small rodent paralyzes entire wind farm
A small rodent, likely a mouse, has brought an entire wind farm in Hilchenbach to a standstill. The Rothaarwind 1 wind farm, consisting of five turbines, has been shut down in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district since mid-January because a short circuit damaged a substation. The grid operator cites a small rodent as the culprit and suspects
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The Federal Network Agency wants to publicly shame network operators in the energy transition debate
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
Blackout News on Social Media
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Open letter – how the nuclear waste authority BASE is allegedly making policy instead of searching for a final repository
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
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Frost damage after Berlin blackout – expert estimates 60 percent of heat pumps are defective
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,
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Gas shortage – now there is also the threat of a supply disruption from the Netherlands
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
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Uniper plans to shut down Germany’s third largest gas storage facility – fill level in Breitbrunn is now only 19%
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
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Electric car insurance is often more expensive than for combustion engine vehicles – up to a 44 percent surcharge
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.
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Denmark is considering mini nuclear reactors – the 1985 ban on nuclear power is officially under threat for the first time
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.
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Antibiotic shortage – special rules are intended to keep Germany’s supply stable
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
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New EU regulation from May 2026 – old energy performance certificates will become invalid
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
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Arctic cold halts US gas production – natural gas prices in Germany poised to jump
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
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Following the Berlin blackout – Kemfert demands mandatory emergency power for new buildings
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