Germans split as last three nuclear power stations go off grid
On Saturday, anti-atomic activists celebrated a 60-year victory on one side of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, while protests took place on the other side against the closure of Germany’s three remaining nuclear power stations. Germany’s ideological divide on nuclear energy is emotionally charged, and both sides accuse each other of irrational ideology.
Conservative politicians and commentators argue that Germany’s decision to scrap domestic nuclear power is a result of Green Party dogma, and that this move increases reliance on fossil fuels and raises energy prices, while nuclear energy has lower emissions. This issue is particularly contentious as war in Europe looms large.
The Green Party and left-wingers argue that it doesn’t make sense to stick to nuclear power, which is more expensive than renewable sources like wind and solar. The German government believes that keeping the three aging nuclear power stations running would require significant investment, which would be better spent on renewable energy sources. Green Party MPs are skeptical of the Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU) sudden support for climate protection, given that the party has traditionally obstructed measures to expand renewable energy infrastructure.
Ironically, it was a conservative-led government under Angela Merkel that decided to phase out nuclear power after the Fukushima disaster in 2011, a decision that was popular with voters due to widespread anti-nuclear sentiment. Some people suggest that Merkel’s decision was influenced by upcoming regional elections at the time.
Germany currently generates 44% of its electricity from renewables, and only 6% from nuclear power, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The country’s Green economy minister, Robert Habeck, predicts that 80% of Germany’s electricity will come from renewable sources by 2030, and has implemented laws to streamline the construction of wind and solar farms.
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