German states urge strategy to secure gas for winter, call for crisis reserve
Clean Energy Wire / energate
Germany’s federal states are calling on the government to develop an urgent strategy to ensure gas storage facilities are filled ahead of the 2026/2027 winter heating season to prevent a substantial rise in costs for businesses and households. The council of state governments (Bundesrat) warned in a resolution that current storage levels are "significantly below" previous years and could become the "Achilles’ heel" of the energy sector during the 2026/2027 heating season.
“A cold snap or supply shortages this coming winter could lead to supply bottlenecks, triggering price shocks that would put both households and manufacturing companies in a difficult position,” the states warned and urged the government to "immediately develop a strategy" to reach safe storage levels and "avert the danger of significant cost increases."
Securing fossil gas supplies has become a top priority for Europe’s largest economy since Russia’s attack on Ukraine forced a rapid and costly shift away from Russian pipeline gas in 2022. This led to laws that mandate specific filling levels for gas storage facilities throughout the year. Storage levels in the country are particularly low this year. While Germany aims to become climate neutral by 2045, gas remains a crucial fuel for heating and industry, making the country vulnerable to price shocks from geopolitical conflicts.
The states asked the government to identify gas-saving options and launch the necessary reforms “without delay”. They also backed the creation of a strategic gas reserve strictly for supply emergencies.
The gas storage industry also called for a national reserve earlier this year. But the economy ministry has expressed caution, citing concerns about potential market distortions. The state governments argued in their resolution that such a reserve should remain separate from regular market operations.
Problems with current storage filling have already emerged at Breitbrunn in Bavaria, where operator Uniper Energy Storage warned that market forces alone may not be sufficient to reach the 80 percent target for gas storages by October, according to energy outlet energate.