Based on the low levels of German gas storage, the Green Party has called for an extraordinary meeting of the Bundestag (German parliament) Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy, with the participation of German Economy Minister Katharina Reiche.
“Minister Reiche is not doing his job“, Green Party energy policy expert Michael Kellner told the DPA news agency. “The ministry is trying to calm the public”. They are pinning their hopes on time, but the situation remains tense”, he said.
The Greens' request for an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary committee, which is available to the DPA, states that gas stocks are at a historic low and have fallen by 25% in just one month. “It is necessary to rule out shortages or possible supply disruptions, including from politically unstable countries“, the document states. In addition, a significant increase in gas prices has been noted.
“We want to know what the ministry is doing to successfully survive the winter“, Kellner stressed. “How does the minister plan to quickly adjust the regulations for filling storage facilities? And how does the German government assess its dependence on US President Donald Trump for supplies of liquefied natural gas?“, the expert concluded.
According to Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), underground gas reserves in Germany, the European leader in storage capacity, fell to 29.12% as of February 4. This is the first time this has happened so early in February. Despite significantly lower gas stocks at the start of the year, the Federal Network Agency currently considers Germany's gas supplies to be stable. The German Economy Ministry also said there was no cause for concern.