Berlin's 12-Hour Blackout: How a Technical Fault Plunged the City Into Darkness
A major power outage struck Berlin on the evening of 25 March 2026, leaving large parts of the city without electricity for nearly 12 hours. The crisis began at around 11 p.m. due to a technical fault at a Vattenfall substation. Despite initial fears of a prolonged blackout, coordinated efforts restored full power by midday the following morning.
The outage triggered an immediate response from city officials. Berlin's Senator for Economics and Energy, Franziska Reichenbach (Greens), worked closely with Stromnetz Berlin—a subsidiary of Vattenfall—to activate backup generators and reroute power from neighbouring grids. Meanwhile, the fire department and civil protection teams set up emergency supply points at hospitals, schools, and U-Bahn stations.
Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) was alerted early in the crisis. At 8:07 a.m., while at home, he received a message from the interior senator. By 12:07 p.m., the economics senator informed him that the timeline for restoration remained uncertain. Stromnetz Berlin later issued a press statement around 2:30 p.m., warning that the outage could last until Thursday. Wegner spent most of the day coordinating from home, except for a brief break for sports. He liaised with senators, borough leaders, aid organisations, Stromnetz Berlin, police, fire services, and the Bundeswehr. His efforts contributed to resolving the crisis a day and a half earlier than initially feared.
The power outage ended by 11 a.m. on 26 March, with full supply restored through targeted repairs. In the aftermath, Wegner apologised in the state parliament for his handling of the incident. He also defended his actions, stating he had fulfilled his duties during the emergency.
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