Nuuk, January 25, 2026 – The Europe Today: Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, experienced a widespread power outage on Saturday night after strong winds caused a transmission failure, according to the state utility and local media reports.
The blackout occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. local time (00:30 GMT, Sunday), with residents reporting sudden loss of electricity on social media, Greenlandic newspaper Sermitsiaq reported.
The utility company stated on Facebook that gusty winds at the Buksefjord hydroelectric power plant had caused “a line error on our transmission line.” Officials added that an emergency plant was being used to restore power. Water supply disruptions and internet connectivity issues were also reported in some areas.
By 3:30 a.m. local time (5:30 GMT) on Sunday, 75 percent of Nuuk’s population of around 20,000 had their electricity restored, the utility said, urging residents to use electrical devices conservatively as the system continued rebooting.
The outage coincided with the government’s release of a disaster preparedness brochure, which advised Greenlanders to store sufficient drinking water, food, medicine, warm clothing, and alternative communication devices for at least five days. Authorities clarified that the guidance did not indicate an imminent crisis.
Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, has recently been in the geopolitical spotlight following controversial remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the island. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump appeared to partially backtrack, stating he had ruled out seizing Greenland by force. He added that he and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte had agreed on a “long-term” framework for a future deal involving Greenland and the Arctic region.
Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen expressed uncertainty over the details of the supposed agreement, including whether it involved territory near U.S. military bases. “I don’t know what there is in the agreement, or the deal, about my country,” Nielsen said.
