German energy czar warns: Don’t let guard down on gas supply

By DAVID McHUGH
AP Business Writer

BONN, Germany (AP) — Germany’s natural gas reserves are abundant, and prices are down. But the country’s top utility regulator, Klaus Mueller, says it’s too soon to sound the all clear on an energy crisis spawned by the war in Ukraine, which laid bare Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas. Mueller told The Associated Press this week that there are still risks to supply, such as pipeline accidents and consumers growing weary of conserving energy. Still, today’s outlook is a marked improvement from just a few months ago, when Russia’s energy cutoffs raised fears of rolling blackouts and natural gas rationing this winter.