Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the German government is examining every option to keep the country warm and reduce its energy dependence on Russia. Keeping nuclear power plants online is being reviewed, but it may be unlikely.
By the end of 2022, Germany will complete a multi-decade shutdown process of the country’s oft-maligned nuclear power plants. Energy insecurity concerns have repeatedly led foreign and a few domestic stakeholders to re-examine the country’s nuclear phase-out.
Asked about whether Germany would reverse the imminent shutdown of its nuclear plants, Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck said that “It is also part of my ministry’s examination duties to answer this question” on national TV on Sunday (27 February).
In concrete terms, that would mean extending the amount of time the nuclear power plants would be allowed to run, something that especially Habeck’s green party had long entirely ruled out.
“The question is a relevant one. I would not dismiss it ideologically,” he added.
As Germany is revamping its defence and foreign policy, Habeck had already announced that he would also ensure that Germany had a “strategic” coal and gas reserve in place by the end of summer 2022.
As Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a firm commitment to constructing LNG terminals to import additional volumes of fossil gas from the US and Qatar, opposition politicians may want the government to go even further.
“If you think it is necessary to reorient our [countries’] and your government’s energy policy if you agree with us that we can no longer forego any options for energy production, then you will have our active support,” explained Friedrich Merz, leader of the largest conservative opposition party CDU, on 27 February.
[Continued…]
That seems like a good idea, if it can reduce the dependency of Russian gas or any gas for that matter.
Why does Germany have to wait for the terrible things to happen before it starts to consider these decisions, rather than having just a bit of common sense foresight and understanding why it was a terrible idea to be dependent on an unpredictable maniac dictator.
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Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the German government is examining every option to keep the country warm and reduce its energy dependence on Russia. Keeping nuclear power plants online is being reviewed, but it may be unlikely.
By the end of 2022, Germany will complete a multi-decade shutdown process of the country’s oft-maligned nuclear power plants. Energy insecurity concerns have repeatedly led foreign and a few domestic stakeholders to re-examine the country’s nuclear phase-out.
Asked about whether Germany would reverse the imminent shutdown of its nuclear plants, Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck said that “It is also part of my ministry’s examination duties to answer this question” on national TV on Sunday (27 February).
In concrete terms, that would mean extending the amount of time the nuclear power plants would be allowed to run, something that especially Habeck’s green party had long entirely ruled out.
“The question is a relevant one. I would not dismiss it ideologically,” he added.
As Germany is revamping its defence and foreign policy, Habeck had already announced that he would also ensure that Germany had a “strategic” coal and gas reserve in place by the end of summer 2022.
As Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a firm commitment to constructing LNG terminals to import additional volumes of fossil gas from the US and Qatar, opposition politicians may want the government to go even further.
“If you think it is necessary to reorient our [countries’] and your government’s energy policy if you agree with us that we can no longer forego any options for energy production, then you will have our active support,” explained Friedrich Merz, leader of the largest conservative opposition party CDU, on 27 February.
[Continued…]
That seems like a good idea, if it can reduce the dependency of Russian gas or any gas for that matter.
Why does Germany have to wait for the terrible things to happen before it starts to consider these decisions, rather than having just a bit of common sense foresight and understanding why it was a terrible idea to be dependent on an unpredictable maniac dictator.