Farewell to the illuminated highways at night – the Ukrainian and Iranian wars, as well as climate change, have disrupted the Belgian energy mix.

After returning from vacation, the author noticed that the Belgian highways were not illuminated at night due to energy-saving measures. Despite the usual bright lighting that is admired worldwide, the current energy crisis has led to a significant reduction in electricity production in Belgium, with September recording the lowest output since 2008. Consequently, the country has had to import an unprecedented amount of electricity since April.