Germany raises the level of alarm for the energy crisis after the cuts in the flow of gas from Russia

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The Government of Germany has raised the alarm level for the energy crisis to a second phase due to Russia's threat to gas supplies, after having declared the early warning level last March.

The German Minister of Economy,

, has confirmed the activation of the second of the three levels of the national emergency plan, after the recent cuts in the flow of gas from Russia, although he has stressed that for the moment the supply is guaranteed.

"The gas supply is guaranteed," said Habeck, who, however, warned that gas "is now a scarce commodity" in the country.

"Even if we don't feel it yet, we are in a gas crisis," he acknowledged.

In this sense, the German minister has underlined the importance of reducing gas consumption during the summer with a view to next winter and has assured that the Government

, including the commissioning of coal-fired power plants .

"All consumers, in industry, in public institutions and in homes, must reduce gas consumption as much as possible so that we can get through the winter," he insisted.

Germany's energy emergency plan provides for a third level of alert in the event that the crisis worsens and market participants are unable to handle the situation on their own.

In this situation, the State would intervene in the market, transforming the Federal Network Agency into the "federal load distributor", for which it would be responsible for determining, in coordination with the operators, the distribution of gas, emphasizing that households, social enterprises or hospitals enjoy the status of protected consumers.

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