Europe wants support from households in the gas war against Putin. By lowering the heating (maximum 19 degrees) and the air conditioning (max 25 degrees), we save gas. In offices, shops and public buildings, a thermostat setting of 19 degrees may even be mandatory.
The risk that Putin will turn off the gas tap to Europe in the coming period is huge, according to the European Commission in a long-awaited emergency plan that it will send to Parliament and member states on Wednesday. Twelve Member States are already receiving no or less Russian gas and everything indicates that it does not stop there, is the analysis in Brussels.
It is therefore better to intervene immediately. “Coordinated action now will be more cost-effective and less disruptive to our daily lives and to the economy than improvised action later, when gas supplies could be running low,” a leaked draft of the proposals said. To underline the seriousness of the situation, Brussels wants to immediately scale up the crisis level from ‘early warning‘ nasty ‘alert‘, the last intermediate station before top level’emergency‘.
Fill up underground gas storage
The 27 Member States had already agreed, on a proposal from Brussels, that each of them would fill up at least 80 percent of its underground gas storage by 1 November at the latest, and 90 percent each following winter. But if Russia were to shut down its gas exports soon, many member states would not get past 65-71 percent, and some risk serious problems by the end of winter, the Commission said. Forced closure of important industries cannot then be ruled out.
To avoid this, Brussels wants to pull out all the stops. Member States are encouraged not only to provide additional assistance to companies with energy savings and accelerate the transition to clean energy, but also to use less gas for power generation. This can be done by keeping old nuclear power stations open for longer and even by falling back on climate-unfriendly coal, such as in Germany. Brussels is forced to accept the temporary extra emissions, but underlining that the transition to clean energy continues to be a top priority.
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We must prepare for the significant risk of a total import freeze this year
Russian gas imports are currently a third lower than last June, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the European Parliament earlier this month. With, among other things, extra gas purchases elsewhere (US, Norway and various countries in the Middle East), Brussels has so far more than compensated for this, but Europe is not prepared for an acute complete interruption.
Full energy independence from Russia was planned by 2027. “Now we must prepare for the significant risk of a total import freeze this year,” the Commission said.
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