The recent Heathrow airport shutdown, which led to over 1,000 cancelled flights, was traced back to a single point of failure: a burning transformer, or device that transfers electric energy. This incident is part of a larger global issue: transformer shortages, Bloomberg reports. In Europe, the shortage has significantly impacted the buildout of cheap renewables, exacerbating the energy crisis. The situation underscores the critical role of transformers in maintaining infrastructure and the cascading consequences of their scarcity.