Saxony-Anhalt hit harder by power outages

Lightning strikes - Saxony-Anhalt hit harder by power outages

Sachsen-Anhalt was on average more affected by power outages than other federal states in the past few years. According to numbers from the Federal Network Agency, the average power outage duration in Sachsen-Anhalt was approximately 21 minutes from the years 2012 to 2022. Only in Brandenburg were the figures higher with 22 minutes. However, the spokesperson for the responsible environmental ministry in Magdeburg finds the numbers reassuring. "Basically, the power supply security in Sachsen-Anhalt and Germany is very high, even in European comparison," the spokesperson explained upon request. The Federal Network Agency's figures also showed that power supply security in Sachsen-Anhalt had increased significantly in recent years. In 2008, for example, Sachsen-Anhalt recorded a power outage duration of 48 minutes, which had dropped to around 16 minutes in 2022.

Power supply security is generally good

The comparison of the federal states according to the Federal Network Agency should be treated with caution and only indicate a trend, according to the ministry spokesperson. However, it is worth observing that the eastern German states, with the exception of Sachsen, generally have higher values. This could be due to the sparse settlement density. In the area, power interruptions can occur more quickly due to longer transmission line lengths. Power outages usually occur regionally, for example due to storms, construction work, or short circuits.

Over the past weekend, several thunderstorms caused local power outages. Among those affected were households in Osterburg in the Altmark and around 2,000 households in the Südharz region, who were without power for one and a half hours. According to the network operators, it was each time due to lightning strikes.

Federal Network Agency numbers on power outages

1. The spokesperson from the environmental ministry in Magdeburg, situated in Sachsen-Anhalt, praised the high power supply security in the municipality and Germany as a whole, based on data from the Federal Network Agency.
2. In contrast to Sachsen-Anhalt, Brandenburg had slightly longer average power outage durations, as reported by the Federal Network Agency, which monitors energy matters in Germany.
3. The BMU, or Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, has reported improvements in power supply security in Sachsen-Anhalt over the years, from a duration of 48 minutes in 2008 to around 16 minutes in 2022.
4. Despite the generally good power supply security, regional power outages can still occur, as shown by the lightning strikes that led to power failures in Osterburg in the Altmark and the Südharz region over the past weekend, affecting thousands of households.
5. When discussing power outage durations within different federal states, such as Sachsen-Anhalt and Brandenburg, it's essential to consider that Eastern German states, except for Sachsen, typically have higher values, potentially due to their sparse settlement densities and longer transmission line lengths.

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