Editorial 13.10.2021

Germany is facing a sharp rise in electricity prices – with the cost for natural gases potentially quadrupling. First voices already pinpointed China’s enormous demand as one cause of the phenomenon. The People’s Republic is indeed already severely affected by the global energy crisis: Power outages will probably continue to plague the country throughout winter, writes Nico Beckert. But balancing supply, demand, and environmental targets has always been difficult for Beijing’s planners. Rapid growth causes imbalances, after all.