Advice for Europeans: Bundle Up and Get Ready for Outages

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As temperatures drop amid an energy crisis, governments say power blackouts may be necessary to conserve electricity.

Rolling power outages in France could start as soon as next month, the government has said. | Nathalie Mohadjer for The New York Times
Life in some European cities may soon look like this: Staggered electricity outages to save energy. Temporary cuts in mobile phone and internet service. Schools closed for a lack of lighting and heat. Even traffic lights could briefly be powered down.

Europe has spent months preparing for a winter without Russian gas, stockpiling fuel and pushing conservation measures in hopes of maintaining enough energy to keep power grids running.

But as an unseasonable streak of mild weather gives way to freezing temperatures, governments are starting to brace people for the possibility of controlled power cuts in the event that energy supplies are stretched — with a wide-ranging impact on daily life.

The French government last week started instructing officials around the country to plan for potential rolling electricity outages as soon as next month. Britain’s National Grid operator has warned households of possible blackouts from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. if gas used to produce electricity runs short. Electric car owners in Finland are being advised not to heat their plugged-in vehicles on freezing mornings to avoid straining the grid. » | Liz Alderman, Reporting from Paris | Monday, December 5, 2022

Europe Concerned over Energy Crunch If Russia Cuts Gas Deliveries | DW News

Jul 20, 2022 The EU is concerned that Russia may try to wreak economic and political havoc in Europe in the winter in retaliation for its support of Ukraine. It's now preparing for the possibility Russia will cut gas deliveries completely after sharp reductions.

EU-Kommission will im Notfall Sparzwang für Gas: Das kündigte die Kommission am Mittwoch an. Zunächst sollen die Mitgliedstaaten ihren Verbrauch jedoch freiwillig um 15 Prozent verringern »

German Energy Firm Uniper Ready to Meet Russian Pay Demand

BBC: One of Germany's biggest energy firms has said it is preparing to buy Russian gas using a payment system that critics say will undermine EU sanctions.

Uniper says it will pay in euros which will be converted into roubles, meeting a Kremlin demand for all transactions to be made in the Russian currency.

Other European energy firms are reportedly preparing to do the same amid concerns about supply cuts.

Uniper said it had no choice but said it was still abiding by EU sanctions.

"We consider a payment conversion compliant with sanctions law and the Russian decree to be possible," a spokesman told the BBC.

"For our company and for Germany as a whole, it is not possible to do without Russian gas in the short term; this would have dramatic consequences for our economy."

Germany's biggest energy supplier RWE declined to comment on how it would pay for Russian gas. » | Daniel Thomas, Business reporter, BBC News | Thursday, April 28, 2022

Germany Warns on Gas Supply over Russia Payment Row

BBC: Germany has declared an "early warning" over possible gas supply disruption amid a payments stand-off with Russia.

Russia has demanded "unfriendly" countries pay for its gas in roubles, but the EU, which mainly pays in euros, has rejected the idea.

On Wednesday, German economy minister Robert Habeck urged consumers and companies to reduce consumption in anticipation of possible shortages.

Germany gets about half its gas and a third of its oil from Russia.

Berlin has pledged to reduce its dependence on Russian energy over time but warned it could face a recession if supplies stopped suddenly.

Under an existing gas emergency plan, the "early warning phase" is the first of three steps designed to prepare the country for a potential supply shock.

In its final stage, the government would bring in gas rationing. » | Wednesday, March 30, 2022

All of Lebanon without Power due to Fuel Shortage | DW News

Oct 9, 2021 • Lebanon has been plunged into darkness, after its two largest power stations were shut down due to a prolonged fuel shortage. Officials say the outage will last several days. Many in the country rely on private generators, but diesel is in short supply. Neighboring Iran has pledged to send more fuel shipments. Lebanon has suffered several power cuts in recent months amid an economic crisis that has seen the value of its currency fall by 90 percent since 2019. The army has been deployed to stop bank runs in Beirut.

Related article here.

Lebanon Hit by Electricity Outage Expected to Last Several Days

THE GUARDIAN: Country’s two main power stations stop working due to fuel shortage plunging cities into darkness

Lebanon’s electricity grid collapsed on Saturday after its two main power plants ran out of fuel, plunging much of the crisis-ridden country into darkness for at least two days.

The nationwide blackout marks a new low for the crumbling state, which has struggled to source dollars to pay market rates for fuel in the wake of a profound financial collapse that has decimated the local currency and forced the economy to a halt.

“The Lebanese power network completely stopped working at noon today, and it is unlikely that it will work until next Monday, or for several days,” an official told the Reuters news agency. » | Martin Chulov, Middle East correspondent | Saturday, October 9, 2021

A Scary Energy Winter Is Coming. Don’t Blame the Greens.

OPINION : THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Every so often the tectonic geopolitical plates that hold up the world economy suddenly shift in ways that can rattle and destabilize everything on the surface. That’s happening right now in the energy sphere.

Several forces are coming together that could make Vladimir Putin the king of Europe, enable Iran to thumb its nose at America and build an atomic bomb, and disrupt European power markets enough that the upcoming U.N. climate conference in Glasgow could suffer blackouts owing to too little clean energy.

Yes, this is a big one.

Natural gas and coal prices in Europe and Asia just hit their highest levels on record, oil prices in America hit a seven-year high and U.S. gasoline prices are up $1 a gallon from last year. If this winter is as bad as some experts predict — with some in the poor and middle classes unable to heat their homes — I fear we’ll see a populist backlash to the whole climate/green movement. You can already smell that coming in Britain.

I am a fan of the financial newsletter Blain’s Morning Porridge, written by a smart, irreverent market strategist in London, Bill Blain. Last Thursday he bluntly summed up the energy situation for the U.K. and Europe this way:

This winter — people are going to die of cold. As the price of energy goes higher, the costs will fall disproportionately upon the poorest in society. Income inequalities will be dramatically exposed as the most vulnerable in society face a stark choice: heat or eat. … This winter the U.K. is likely to be on its knees, begging energy from wherever it’s available. Europe will be in as much trouble. The Middle East will be charging whatever they can get away with, and the capacity to deliver is limited. … And Vladimir Putin can’t wait. … He will invite each European leader to plead their case individually, menacingly asking each leader why he should open the gas taps to their nation specifically. … Make no mistake, this winter is going to be shocking. Be aware.

How did we get here? In truth, it’s a good-news-bad-news story. » | Thomas L. Friedman, Opinion Columnist | Tuesday, October 5, 2021

US-Iran Conflict Would Hit Energy Supplies, Says Iranian General

THE GUARDIAN: Gen Saleh Jokar also says Iran’s missiles could easily reach US warships in Gulf

Iranian missiles could easily hit US ships in the Gulf, and any conflict would threaten global energy supplies, a senior Iranian military official has said.

As tensions simmered on Friday, Tehran blamed the US for an escalating regional crisis that western intelligence officials fear could lead to open conflict.

“If a war happens, the world’s energy supply will suffer,” Gen Saleh Jokar, deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, said on Friday. He added: “Iran’s short-range missiles can easily reach present [US] warships in the Persian Gulf.”

Iranian military leaders say the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” approach, which includes crippling sanctions on Tehran’s economy and a unilateral pullout from a nuclear deal, has forced an inevitable reaction. » | Martin Chulov and Dan Sabbagh | Friday, May 17, 2019

Trump's Dirty Energy Appointees Dismantle Clean Energy Controls

Trump's EPA announced a plan to end Obama's Clean Power Plan, using coal companies' proposals, which lowers federal regulations on emissions and allows states to set their own emissions reduction goals. We discuss the proposal with Mustafa Ali.

Downing Street: People Faced with Rising Energy Bills Should Consider Wearing Jumpers

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron believes that millions of people facing rising energy bills should consider "wrapping up warm" and wearing jumpers, Downing Street has indicated.

British Gas yesterday announced that it is raising its energy prices for 8million customers by 9.2 per cent, a week after its rival SSE announced similar hikes. Other major companies are expected to follow suit.

Asked about whether people should "wrap up warm" and wear jumpers, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Clearly, he is not going to prescribe the actions that individuals should take but if people are giving that advice that is something that people may wish to consider. » | Steven Swinford, Senior Political Correspondent | Friday, October 18, 2013

My comment:

Clearly, this is Cameron's "let them eat cake" moment. (And we all know what happened to Marie Antoinette.) – © Mark

This comment appears here too.

Australian Energy Company CEO Stands Down after Slew of Racist Remarks on Facebook

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An Australian energy company has lost contracts and had its ties with a football club cut after its CEO made a slew of offensive remarks on Facebook about Aborigines, Asians, Jews, Muslims and women.

The comments were described by Julia Gillard, Australia's Prime Minister – who was herself the target of some remarks – as "very nasty". But the company boss, Ben Polis, denied he was "like a neo-Nazi racist", saying he once dated a half-Aboriginal woman and employed an Asian cleaner.

Mr Polis, 30, stood down from his position as chief executive of the company he founded, EnergyWatch, today after a meeting with the senior managers.

His comments were deemed "abhorrent" by the Aussie Rules football club, Melbourne Demons, which terminated its £1.3 million annual deal with the company, its major sponsor. A football club, Melbourne Victory, and a rugby club, Melbourne Rebels, also terminated their sponsorship deals. » | Jonathan Pearlman in Sydney | Thursday, April 05, 2012

Turkey's Nuclear Plans on Mediterranean Raise Fears
KUWAIT TIMES: ANKARA: Turkey plans to build a coastal nuclear power plant close to an earthquake-prone area, dismissing neighbors' fears that Japan's nuclear disaster shows that the new plant could be a risk to the whole Mediterranean region. Greece and Cyprus say the move is a gamble that could cause catastrophe and want the European Union to scrutinize the EU candidate's plan in a debate fraught with political and historical baggage. Turkish officials insist the plant is safe and necessary to keep the country's strong economy going. » | Sunday, April 03, 2011

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