SPECIAL COMMENTARY How Electricity Can Break the Russian Gas Supply Stranglehold on the EU

Any EU decision to ban imports of Russian natural gas is now past the point of relevance given that Russia will either limit or cut off gas supplies entirely. Cutting the gordian knot of EU fossil-fuel dependency will be a positive outcome that stops the transfer of wealth sustaining the Russian war efforts. Simultaneously, a unique opportunity emerges to develop and enhance a resilient power grid for the future. Re-directing natural gas supply from power production to other sectors such as industry and homes helps reduce the disruptions created by energy shortfalls, and effectively breaks the dependency on (Russian) gas. Without massive inflows of income from energy exports, Russia’s capability to prolong a war of attrition will denude over time, and paradoxically, this can become a potential path for peace.