Neustadt in Holstein experienced a power outage lasting several hours on February 2, 2026. Daily life was abruptly disrupted. Large parts of the town were affected, as well as Pelzerhaken and Rettin. Up to 10,000 residents were left without electricity. Anyone who wanted to pay, work, or communicate suddenly encountered limitations. (welt: 02.02.26)
Neustadt in Holstein without power – the standstill begins with the details
At home, the most obvious things fail first, but then the chain reaction follows. Routers shut down, and with them, internet access for many households immediately disappears. Many heating systems operate only partially because controls and pumps require energy.
In retail, the outage quickly becomes existential, as cash registers, card terminals, and inventory management systems depend on the power supply. Businesses also lose their ability to operate because machines and IT systems are at a standstill. At the same time, the situation becomes chaotic because information flows more slowly without a stable connection.
Substation as a weak point in the system
The municipal utility company began troubleshooting, while the city simultaneously coordinated the situation. Mayor Mirko Spiekermann cited a technical defect at the Roge substation as the likely cause. The municipality also established a crisis management team to expedite decision-making.
The mechanism is crucial: A central network node failed, and immediately, lights and technology went out in large areas. It is precisely these kinds of nodes that determine whether a disruption remains localized or becomes widespread. Neustadt felt the effects within minutes because several supply areas were affected simultaneously.
Redundancy costs money, but outages erode trust
Theoretically, networks are supposed to absorb disruptions, and for that, reserves are needed. In practice, sometimes a single bottleneck is enough to cause entire supply areas to collapse. This is precisely when it becomes clear how dependent everyday life and the economy are on just a few key nodes.
Networks need reserves; otherwise, every disruption immediately becomes a major event. A supply that only appears stable under ideal conditions offers no protection when things get serious. Operators must consistently plan for redundancy, backup paths, and clean disconnect points because outages are not “rare” but rather systemic possibilities. Neustadt demonstrates how quickly a technical problem can escalate into a widespread shutdown.
The return of power ends the outage, not the problem
Later in the evening, the situation stabilized as the first areas regained power starting at 8:15 p.m. By 10:00 p.m., the supply was fully restored, and daily life gradually resumed. The outage lasted approximately four hours, even though parts of the city were reconnected to the grid earlier.
If the next fault is enough to cause another outage, it will again affect households and businesses. Therefore, it’s not just about whether the power returns, but also how effectively the grid prevents outages in the first place. Because without power, more things come to a standstill in minutes than many realize.