Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 7, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
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Berlin's longest blackout since WWII ends as power is restored after a suspected arson attack by activists, affecting thousands.
BERLIN, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Electricity was restored to southwestern Berlin on Wednesday after a suspected arson attack on a power station by leftist activists caused a blackout for tens of thousands of households, the longest outage in the German capital since World War Two.
"Today is a good day for the many people affected who had been cut off from electricity and heat since January 3," said Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner.
The operation to restore power, which started at 11 a.m. (1000 GMT), was a complex and gradual process, he said.
A blaze early on Saturday destroyed a cable duct over a canal, cutting off power in about 45,000 households and more than 2,000 businesses in southwestern districts of the city at a time of freezing temperatures.
The far-left Volcano activist group, which in 2024 said it attacked a power pylon near Tesla's factory outside Berlin, claimed responsibility.
The German army was called in to support residents struggling with the outage, which also affected mobile phone connections, heating and trains.
The prolonged fallout has prompted some politicians to demand more investment to protect the capital's infrastructure, especially since the domestic intelligence agency has warned about growing risks from left-wing militants.
(Reporting by Madeline Chambers; editing by Matthias Williams and Jan Harvey)
A blackout is a temporary loss of electrical power in a specific area, often caused by issues such as equipment failure or external damage.
Infrastructure financing refers to the funding of essential physical systems and structures, such as transportation, energy, and utilities, necessary for economic activity.
Energy technologies encompass a range of innovations and systems used to produce, store, and utilize energy efficiently and sustainably.
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