EXPLAINER: Fears of a natural gas emergency stalk Europe
Associated Press
The war in Ukraine is fueling fears of a natural gas emergency in Europe. Russia has throttled back supplies to more countries, this time to major economies and big users such as Germany and Italy. And there are worries about a complete shutoff. Supplies are enough to generate electricity and power industry for today’s needs. But Europe needs to fill its underground gas storage this summer. If it can’t, the 27-member European Union could face emergency gas rationing by governments and economic disaster this winter. Meanwhile, higher gas prices and the threat of a cutoff are raising pressure on Europe to find substitutes and reduce how much gas it uses — and fast.
