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The Big Take

Germany Has Three Months to Save Itself From a Winter Gas Crisis

Olaf Scholz’s government was slow to react when Russia squeezed gas supplies. Now cities are cutting back on lighting and hot water in a bid to avert disaster.

Much of Europe is feeling the strain from Russia’s squeeze on gas deliveries, yet no other country is as exposed as Germany.

Much of Europe is feeling the strain from Russia’s squeeze on gas deliveries, yet no other country is as exposed as Germany.

Source: Bloomberg

Germany’s presidential palace in Berlin is no longer lit at night, the city of Hanover is turning off warm water in the showers of its pools and gyms, and municipalities across the country are preparing heating havens to keep people safe from the cold. And that’s just the beginning of a crisis that will ripple across Europe.

It might still be the height of summer, but Germany has little time to lose to avert an energy shortage this winter that would be unprecedented for a developed nation. Much of Europe is feeling the strain from Russia’s squeeze on natural gas deliveries, yet no other country is as exposed as the region’s biggest economy, where nearly half the homes rely on the fuel for heating.