As Germany scrambles to find a way to lower its reliance on Russian natural gas, the country has announced a move to the second phase — “alarm” level — of its three-stage emergency gas plan, possibly leading to higher prices for consumers. The third phase could involve gas rationing.
And the energy crisis could have even more severe consequences for industry and consumers come the fall months.
Possible solutions include purchasing from other sources, including liquefied gas; more frugal consumption and utilizing coal to a greater degree. At the same time, the neoliberal Free Democrats — the smallest party in Germany’s ruling coalition government — are calling for German nuclear power plants to run longer and for the ban on natural gas extraction through the process known as fracking to be lifted.
