{"id":427276,"date":"2026-02-21T19:40:49","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T18:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427276"},"modified":"2026-02-21T19:40:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T18:40:52","slug":"leaked-german-committee-minutes-dismiss-gas-shortage-fears-but-reality-shows-20-5-storage-and-iran-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427276","title":{"rendered":"Leaked German Committee Minutes Dismiss Gas Shortage Fears- But Reality Shows 20.5% Storage and Iran Risks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"687\" height=\"1024\" data-attachment-id=\"427297\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=427297\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"784,1168\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0 Leaked German Committee\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-1.jpg?fit=687%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-1.jpg?resize=687%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-427297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-1.jpg?resize=687%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 687w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-1.jpg?resize=201%2C300&amp;ssl=1 201w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-1.jpg?resize=768%2C1144&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-1.jpg?resize=640%2C953&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-1.jpg?w=784&amp;ssl=1 784w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 687px) 100vw, 687px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Outdoor Chiemgau (a Bavarian YouTuber focused on energy crisis and blackout prep) claims about Germany&#8217;s gas situation is far more dangerous than officials admit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Outdoor Chiemgau claiming:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Germany at ~20.5% fill level (he calls it the &#8220;magical 20% threshold&#8221;); one facility down to 0.7%. He does math showing daily withdrawals (e.g., 1700\u20132500 GWh) are unsustainable without cut-offs if cold weather returns, even with warmer forecasts helping temporarily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leaked\/exclusive committee minutes &#8211; From a special Bundestag Wirtschaftsausschuss session (Feb 17, 2026, with Minister Katherina Reiche and BNetzA&#8217;s Klaus M\u00fcller).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Geopolitical\/Iran risk -big emphasis on potential war\/escalation.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"687\" height=\"1024\" data-attachment-id=\"427298\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=427298\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-Minutes-Dismiss-Gas-Shortage-Fears1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"784,1168\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0- Leaked German Committee Minutes Dismiss Gas Shortage Fears1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-Minutes-Dismiss-Gas-Shortage-Fears1.jpg?fit=687%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-Minutes-Dismiss-Gas-Shortage-Fears1.jpg?resize=687%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-427298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-Minutes-Dismiss-Gas-Shortage-Fears1.jpg?resize=687%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 687w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-Minutes-Dismiss-Gas-Shortage-Fears1.jpg?resize=201%2C300&amp;ssl=1 201w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-Minutes-Dismiss-Gas-Shortage-Fears1.jpg?resize=768%2C1144&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-Minutes-Dismiss-Gas-Shortage-Fears1.jpg?resize=640%2C953&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-Minutes-Dismiss-Gas-Shortage-Fears1.jpg?w=784&amp;ssl=1 784w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 687px) 100vw, 687px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"723\" height=\"407\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/q8eZuYUU7tg?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~0:04 \u2013 0:50]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">20.5% in storage. From now on, it mustn\u2019t get cold anymore, because that would simply mean we could inject around 3000 gigawatt hours per day. We\u2019ve already consumed 3400 gigawatt hours this year, hence this magical 20% mark that we\u2019ve now practically reached. We\u2019ll look at how the weather is getting warmer now\u2014how will that affect things long-term? We\u2019ll take a look at the situation across Europe. My biggest concern right now is the Netherlands with only 12%. There are new outages in Austria and new ones in Norway. LNG has improved a bit. We\u2019ll look at the individual storage levels because we have the first storage below 0.7%, and we\u2019ll mainly focus on Check 1.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~0:50 \u2013 1:32]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I told you about this special session on Wednesday. That video really got to me emotionally\u2014you might have noticed\u2014and now I\u2019ve received the minutes of that meeting\u2026 and what can I say? Yes, I\u2019d say let\u2019s just take a look at it. And we see there\u2019s also some positive news to report: it\u2019s not only getting warmer, but wind is picking up again and we\u2019re using less gas. So, a few positive things. We\u2019ll see if that\u2019s enough. If you\u2019re interested, just stay tuned.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~1:32 \u2013 3:02]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, folks, in the midday video I complained that I hadn\u2019t heard anything from the AfD yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> Apparently, they took that as a cue to send me the internal protocol. And the first thing that stands out: the Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy has a total of 42 members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> And those who were there were Katharina Reiche and Klaus M\u00fcller\u2026 (lists attendees: CDU members like Mr. Lenz, Saska Ludwig; SPD\u2019s Ms. Scher; AfD\u2019s Mr. Holm and Mr. Kotre; The Left\u2019s Mr. Jesane; Greens\u2019 Ms. Verlinde and Mr. Kellner). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That means out of 42 people, only nine were present at this important meeting\u2026 I sometimes wonder what we pay our parliamentarians for if they\u2019re just a bunch of no-shows at such a crucial special session. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The assessment presented in the special session on gas shortage paints an overall picture of widespread reassurance. It was unanimously stressed that there is no acute gas shortage, the market is liquid, sufficient import options exist, and even low storage levels give no reason for quality changes\u2014availability is simply a question of price.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~3:02 \u2013 3:35]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m simply speechless again today when I read something like this. Physics exists, dear politicians\u2026 The pipelines from Norway are delivering the maximum amount\u2026 With LNG it can sometimes take three to four weeks until the ship arrives. The next question is whether there will even be so many ships in the future if there\u2019s a war with Iran.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~3:35 \u2013 5:03]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The central starting point\u2026 is the thesis that security of supply is guaranteed even with historically low gas storage fill levels. Storage levels around 20\u201325% have repeatedly been described as unproblematic\u2026 Gasspeicher now at 20.5%\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have net imports of 315 TWh, but 720 go abroad\u2026 So, we\u2019re left with 2425\u2026 But we consumed 4117\u2026 That means on average we\u2019ve withdrawn 1720 gigawatt hours from the gas storages\u2026 How the hell are we supposed to manage without gas storages if we can only add 2400 and in the worst case maybe only 3400 gigawatt hours\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~5:03 \u2013 9:46]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If something like the Strait of Hormuz happens\u2026 geopolitical tensions, possible sabotage\u2026 War Iran\u2026 LNG underway\u2026 25% of global LNG flows through there.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~9:46 \u2013 10:21]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For that, LNG has now delivered 500 gigawatt hours for the first time in a while. So twice as much as recently. A new small ship has arrived\u2026 LNG is running again.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~10:21 \u2013 11:07]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Europe itself is just barely over 30%\u2026 The Belgian one is now at 24% too\u2026 We already mentioned the Netherlands, currently at 256 TWh, while Germany still has 21.07\u2026 and if you open Germany today, it\u2019s dark red here, so many storage areas are already red, dark red\u2026 Our largest storage capacity is still at 5%.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~11:07 \u2013 13:32]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gas storage dashboard\u2026 The KT on March 6th is at 17.7%. But what does that mean? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Well, I said at 20% we can roughly withdraw 3000\u2026 At 15% we might only get 2134 out of the gas storages\u2026 and we regularly exceed those values\u2026 That means at 15% someone probably already has to be switched off\u2026 And at 10% we can only store 1500 more today.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~13:32 \u2013 14:29]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have further unavailable storages at Seven Fields in Austria\u2026 Seenfield now has a compressor problem\u2026 Talesbrunn\u2026 another 250 fewer unplanned outages\u2026 Storage at 0.7%.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~14:29 \u2013 16:23]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have another problem coming our way, folks, and that\u2019s Donald Trump\u2026 He promised the Iranians he would support them\u2026 That means he could then attack Iran from here and there\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over 250 fighter jets are currently on their way there\u2026 If that happens, they\u2019ll hit back and block the Strait of Hormuz\u2026 25% of global LNG flows through there\u2026 most of it goes to Asia\u2026 If the Asians no longer get LNG, they\u2019ll go to the world market\u2026 that could hit us.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">[~16:23 \u2013 end]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Okay folks, that was a quick summary of the current situation. Things have improved a bit\u2026 We\u2019re importing a bit more LNG; it\u2019s running again\u2026 LNG is running again. The wind is picking up again. We\u2019re also generating less electricity from gas right now. It\u2019s getting warmer\u2026 We\u2019ll probably have some calm for the next week or two\u2026 Still\u2026 whether that will be enough for everyone between now and April remains to be seen.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"394\" data-attachment-id=\"427288\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=427288\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-184310.png?fit=1381%2C752&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1381,752\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0Screenshot 2026-02-21 184310\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-184310.png?fit=723%2C394&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-184310.png?resize=723%2C394&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-427288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-184310.png?resize=1024%2C558&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-184310.png?resize=300%2C163&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-184310.png?resize=768%2C418&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-184310.png?resize=640%2C349&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-184310.png?resize=1200%2C653&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-184310.png?w=1381&amp;ssl=1 1381w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">_________________________________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The official Aggregated Gas Storage Inventory (AGSI) is the primary, transparent, and real-time database for Europe&#8217;s underground natural gas storage levels, maintained by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). It&#8217;s the exact source referenced in the Outdoor Chiemgau video, German media, and official reports (including Bundesnetzagentur and EU dashboards).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Direct Access to Germany&#8217;s Data<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Main Dashboard URL: <a href=\"https:\/\/agsi.gie.eu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/agsi.gie.eu<\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is the live platform (free, no login required for basic views).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On load, it shows an EU overview; select Germany from the country list (or search\/filter for it).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Key views include:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Overall fill level (%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Working gas volume (in TWh)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Daily injection\/withdrawal rates (GWh\/day)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Historical charts\/trends (compare to 5-year averages, previous years)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Individual storage facilities (click &#8220;Details&#8221; for breakdowns by site, operator, status)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data updates daily (usually around midday CET, confirmed status &#8220;C&#8221; for verified).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Latest Snapshot for Germany (as of February 20\/21, 2026 \u2013 based on most recent AGSI data pulls)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fill Level: 21.07% (one of the lowest mid-February figures since at least 2011, per cross-referenced reports).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Working Gas in Storage: ~52.91 TWh (down from ~54.34 TWh the previous day).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Daily Change: -0.56% (net withdrawal).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Injection Rate: +17.15 GWh\/day (slight net injection starting to show in milder weather).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Context: This is historically low for late winter (normal mid-Feb averages 40\u201350%+), driven by prolonged cold snaps earlier in the season. EU-wide is higher (33\u201339% range in reports). No immediate crisis per government, thanks to Norwegian pipelines, LNG imports, and market mechanisms\u2014but refill for next winter will be challenging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The official Aggregated Gas Storage Inventory (AGSI) from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), Germany&#8217;s underground natural gas storage fill level was exactly 21.07% as of the latest confirmed data point on February 20, 2026 (at 6:00 AM CET, published daily around evening CET).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"337\" data-attachment-id=\"427292\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=427292\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-192304.png?fit=1835%2C856&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1835,856\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0,Screenshot 2026-02-21 192304\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-192304.png?fit=723%2C337&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-192304.png?resize=723%2C337&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-427292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-192304.png?resize=1024%2C478&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-192304.png?resize=300%2C140&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-192304.png?resize=768%2C358&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-192304.png?resize=1536%2C717&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-192304.png?resize=640%2C299&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-192304.png?resize=1200%2C560&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-192304.png?w=1835&amp;ssl=1 1835w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-192304.png?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/agsi.gie.eu\/\">Gas Infrastructure Europe &#8211; AGSI<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Latest Snapshot for Germany (as of February 20\/21, 2026 &#8211; based on most recent AGSI data pulls)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fill Level: 21.07% (one of the lowest mid-February figures since at least 2011, per cross-referenced reports).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Working Gas in Storage: ~52.91 TWh (down from ~54.34 TWh the previous day).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Daily Change: -0.56% (net withdrawal).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Injection Rate: +17.15 GWh\/day (slight net injection starting to show in milder weather).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Context: This is historically low for late winter (normal mid-Feb averages 40\u201350%+), driven by prolonged cold snaps earlier in the season. EU-wide is higher (33\u201339% range in reports). No immediate crisis per government, thanks to Norwegian pipelines, LNG imports, and market mechanisms\u2014but refill for next winter will be challenging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 0.7% storage level mentioned in the Outdoor Chiemgau video refers to an individual underground gas storage facility (not the national average) that had dropped to critically low capacity during mid-February 2026. This is a specific site showing near-empty status, which the host highlighted as a warning sign amid the broader national low of ~21% (which you&#8217;ve confirmed at 21.07% on AGSI for Feb 20\/21, 2026). What It Means in Context:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Germany&#8217;s overall storage (aggregated across 50+ facilities) was historically low for mid-winter (21\u201324% range in Feb 2026 reports), but still functional thanks to ongoing imports (Norway pipelines at max, LNG arrivals improving).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Individual facilities can vary wildly: Some are almost full, others critically low due to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Technical issues (e.g., compressor failures limiting injection\/withdrawal).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Operational decisions (e.g., not refilling because of high costs or low profitability).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Location-specific demand (e.g., regional industrial use or export flows).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A single site at 0.7% (or below ~5\u201310%) is a red flag because:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Below ~10\u201315% fill, pressure drops make it hard\/impossible to withdraw gas efficiently (physics limit: gas needs pressure to flow out).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It reduces the system&#8217;s flexibility\u2014if that site is key for a region or connected infrastructure, it could force reliance on other sources or trigger local alerts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the video, the host ties this to &#8220;unavailable storages&#8221; (Ausf\u00e4lle) in Austria-linked sites, suggesting cross-border impacts (Germany relies on some Austrian facilities via pipelines).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why It Matters (Host&#8217;s Point)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Even if national average is 21%, one near-empty site can signal:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Broader infrastructure strain (overloaded compressors from max Norwegian flows).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduced buffer if cold snaps return.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Risk of localized shortages or higher costs to reroute gas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Officials downplayed it (&#8220;no acute quantity problem&#8221;), focusing on imports, but skeptics like the YouTuber see it as evidence of vulnerability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Outdoor Chiemgau (a Bavarian YouTuber focused on energy crisis and blackout prep) claims about Germany&#8217;s gas situation is far more dangerous than officials admit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":427297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-427276","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","9":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Leaked-German-Committee-1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1N9y","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":423229,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=423229","url_meta":{"origin":427276,"position":0},"title":"Germany\u2019s Natural Gas Crisis Escalates \u2026 One Storage Site Near Empty \u2026Government Silent","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"26\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Several large storage sites in Bavaria are at very low fill levels, significantly below legal or expected thresholds for this time of year during the heating season. Wolfersberg (a key site): under 6% (practically empty in some reports). Inzenham-West: under 19% in recent data.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0-Wolfersberg.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0-Wolfersberg.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0-Wolfersberg.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0-Wolfersberg.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":235413,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=235413","url_meta":{"origin":427276,"position":1},"title":"German Officials Blame Gas Shortage On Consumers, Warn \u201cPeople Will Feel The Cost Of The Energy Crisis Hard\u201d","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"21\/12\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Germany is desperately fighting for every kilowatt-hour of energy\u2026blames consumers for supply shortfalls!","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/00_Family-sitting-by-the-candles-during-the-blackout.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/00_Family-sitting-by-the-candles-during-the-blackout.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/00_Family-sitting-by-the-candles-during-the-blackout.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/00_Family-sitting-by-the-candles-during-the-blackout.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/00_Family-sitting-by-the-candles-during-the-blackout.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":422577,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=422577","url_meta":{"origin":427276,"position":2},"title":"As German Gas Storage Dips Dangerously Low\u2026Shortage Hardly Avoidable","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"23\/01\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"This January is described as one of the coldest in the last 15 years. During such cold phases, German gas consumption spikes drastically (up to a 1.3% loss in capacity per day).\u00a0Currently (as of January 19) the gas storage level is at 41.8%, much lower than at this time last\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Dunkelflaute\"","block_context":{"text":"Dunkelflaute","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=dunkelflaute"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0-German-Gas.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0-German-Gas.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0-German-Gas.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0-German-Gas.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":425784,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=425784","url_meta":{"origin":427276,"position":3},"title":"German Gas Crisis\u2026Chancellor Merz Allegedly Bans Gas Debate Ahead of Elections!","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/02\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s not even mid-February, and Germany\u2019s gas storage buffer is\u00a0already down to 25.5% full and faces rationing.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In \"0.7% per day\"","block_context":{"text":"0.7% per day","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=0-7-per-day"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Germanys-gas-storage-buffer-is-already-down-to-25.5-full.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Germanys-gas-storage-buffer-is-already-down-to-25.5-full.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Germanys-gas-storage-buffer-is-already-down-to-25.5-full.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Germanys-gas-storage-buffer-is-already-down-to-25.5-full.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":212800,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=212800","url_meta":{"origin":427276,"position":4},"title":"Reality Bites: Germany\u2019s Wind &#038; Solar Transition Declared Abject Failure","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/08\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The German government\u2019s cultish obsession with wind and solar is a mixture of wishful thinking and mass delusion. Both have collided with reality as Vlad Putin continues to put the squeeze on Europe\u2019s gas supplies \u2013 gas which has been used to run the banks of fast-start-up gas turbines essential\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0Screenshot-2022-08-10-103033.png?fit=835%2C460&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0Screenshot-2022-08-10-103033.png?fit=835%2C460&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0Screenshot-2022-08-10-103033.png?fit=835%2C460&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0Screenshot-2022-08-10-103033.png?fit=835%2C460&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":213444,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=213444","url_meta":{"origin":427276,"position":5},"title":"The German logic of haggling: driving slower to heat houses","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"14\/08\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Normally, apart from Germany, there should be no rationing in the rest of the EU, as the energy mix is well diversified. Let the Germans, who imposed the forced march towards renewable energies, now assume the constraints and possible blackouts that will result from it.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0Screenshot-2022-08-14-110331.png?fit=835%2C777&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0Screenshot-2022-08-14-110331.png?fit=835%2C777&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0Screenshot-2022-08-14-110331.png?fit=835%2C777&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/0Screenshot-2022-08-14-110331.png?fit=835%2C777&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=427276"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":427302,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427276\/revisions\/427302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/427297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=427276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=427276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=427276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}