In order to prevent power rationing or blackouts from becoming all but unavoidable, Europe must pay a premium for liquefied natural gas imports, hope for a mild winter, and reduce its energy use.
Even if Europe is able to stay warm and maintain power this winter, it will have significantly greater challenges in order to replenish depleted storage
the next year than it did in order to reach a European Union aim to raise stockpiles to 80% of capacity by November this year.
Although storage, which is presently at over 90%, is a buffer and the amount of gas flowing from Russia to Germany through the Nord Stream network has been stopped
there is still a gap despite increasing supply from other sources.
After sanctions were imposed by the West in reaction to the war in Ukraine that started in February, Russia gradually decreased gas deliveries through Nord Stream as well as through other channels.