Germany faces record electricity prices and outages amid heat wave

A severe heat wave across Europe has pushed electricity prices to unprecedented levels. In Germany, spot‑market prices surged to a record‑high of 933 €/MWh, while Belgium broke its own record at over 1,000 €/MWh. Analysts attribute the surge to a "heat‑flaute" – a combination of reduced wind output and soaring demand for cooling, which forces reliance on costly gas and coal plants.

The extreme temperatures also triggered a large‑scale power interruption in the German town of Rüsselsheim. Approximately 2,000 households experienced an outage after the grid was strained by the simultaneous high demand and technical issues possibly linked to the heat. City‑works are investigating the cause, but sabotage has been ruled out.

Across Germany and neighboring countries, the heat has led to the cancellation of numerous public events and raised concerns about the capacity of hospitals and other facilities to operate safely under sustained high temperatures.