A year after Germany phased out nuclear energy, Federal Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) defended the measure. All the horror scenarios painted on the wall did not come to pass, Habeck told the newspapers of the Funke media group at the weekend. On the contrary, the general secretary of the CDU, Carsten Linnemann, spoke of a “historical mistake” that the Union wanted to correct.
On April 15, 2023, the last three nuclear power plants in Germany were closed. Habeck told Funke newspaper: “Today we see that the electricity supply remains secure, electricity prices have fallen even after the phase-out of nuclear energy and CO2 emissions are also falling.”
Habeck says nuclear energy is not internationally competitive
Habeck rejected calls to return to nuclear power. Nuclear energy is not competitive internationally and the costs of current projects would skyrocket. Furthermore, the issue of final storage in Germany remains unresolved.
Habeck justified the fact that after the withdrawal of nuclear energy, coal-fired power plants were put into operation again. This was necessary as a safeguard, but in 2023 less coal would be used to generate electricity than at any time since the 1960s.
Habeck also defended the import of nuclear energy from abroad. “Last year we covered two percent of our gross electricity consumption with imports. “More than half of the imports were renewable electricity from Denmark and Norway, which was especially cheap,” he told Funke newspaper. “Only about a quarter was nuclear power from France.”
CDU criticizes Habeck's nuclear energy ban
However, CDU general secretary Linnemann told the newspaper Funke: “One year after the closure of the Habeck nuclear power plant, it is clear that all the experts' warnings have come true.”
Germany has become more reliant on electricity imports, the economy is struggling due to high energy prices, and no other country in the world is following the federal government's lead. The Union wants to correct this.
The president of the environmental protection organization BUND, Olaf Bandt, believes that Germany is “on the right path towards a truly sustainable electricity system: with the gradual phase-out of nuclear energy, security of supply is guaranteed.” in a way that is respectful of nature.