The European Commission (EC) plans to extend its call for voluntary natural gas reduction measures until next year, said energy commissioner Kadri Simson.

“We cannot let our guard down on gas security of supply,” she said Thursday during a press conference one year after the European Union (EU) rolled out a plan to cut its reliance on Russian energy known as REPowerEU. 

The EC request for the continent’s gas consumers to cut demand by 15% is set to expire this month.  Kadri said the request would be extended through next year, adding that it’s “the best guarantee to achieve an adequate level of storage by November.” 

The bloc is aiming to have its storage inventories 90% full before next winter. Simson said gas demand between August and January was cut by 1.5 Tcf....