Germany’s energy regulator has identified priority areas that would be protected from power outages this winter, ranging from households and hospitals to pharmaceutical companies and paper mills.
Sharp reductions in Russian gas deliveries via the Nord Stream pipeline have prompted authorities to make hasty preparations for a harsh winter.
‘We can’t classify every business as systemically important,’ Klaus Mueller, director of Germany’s Federal Network Agency, told the Funke newspaper group in an interview published on Saturday.
‘Entertainment products and services will become less important… Swimming pools are clearly not necessary, nor is making chocolate cookies.’
While Mueller stated that households are the top priority, he did not rule out the possibility of power outages.
‘If rationing is necessary, we must first reduce industrial consumption,’ he said.
‘I can assure you that we will do everything possible to keep private households from going without gas. However, the coronavirus crisis taught us that we should not make promises that we are unsure we can keep.’
Post Your Comments