"An energy supply crunch tied to the war in Ukraine could cause widespread blackouts in the European Union this winter, an official in charge of managing crises within the bloc has warned.

The European Union is shoring up its resources as temperatures drop and preparing for two “conceivable scenarios”: one in which a few member states experience power cuts, and another in which blackouts occur in many member states at the same time, E.U. Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic told Germany’s RND media.

In the first scenario, E.U. states could step in to provide targeted help — including emergency power generators — to affected countries. But in the case of more widespread blackouts, the European Commission would be forced to draw from its strategic energy reserve, while individual countries would cap their emergency aid deliveries, Lenarcic added."

Annabelle Timsit and Emily Rauhala report for the Washington Post October 5, 2022. [2]