Facing the public debate surrounding low levels in gas storage facilities, economic expert Veronika Grimm is urging caution and restraint. Speaking to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, she stated that she believes it is sensible to wait and see for now. Although she acknowledges that concerns over rising prices are legitimate, she clarified that high minimum storage levels were abolished precisely because of the high prices that result from them.
Grimm was referring to the discussion about German gas reserves, whose fill level recently stood at 51 percent-a significant drop compared to a year ago. These facilities are subject to legal fill requirement specifications, which were lowered in 2025.
Instead of focusing on short-term measures, Grimm advocated for increased long-term contractual agreements and a diversification of contract structures. She criticized the public discourse, noting, “The public discussion focuses heavily on short-term measures. The long-term measures are often pushed aside.”
She highlighted the vulnerability caused by heavy reliance on the spot market price, which could “massively increase” during a crisis. Furthermore, the expert added that Europe is highly dependent on the United States for LNG gas. According to Grimm, action must be taken to build medium-term resilience; otherwise, the continent will remain perpetually in a state of crisis.
