According to Habeck's nuclear power plant proposal: there is a risk of noise in the traffic light coalition

Created: 06/09/2022 07:59

Robert Habeck fights his way through to a possible continued operation of two German nuclear power plants.

That's not nearly enough for the FDP.

Berlin – The proposal by Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) has explosive potential for the traffic light coalition: After the results of a stress test were published, Habeck proposed a temporary nuclear power reserve.

Two of the three remaining nuclear power plants in Germany - Isar 2 in Bavaria and Neckarwestheim in Baden-Württemberg - should therefore serve as emergency reserves until mid-April.

It was actually intended that all German nuclear power plants would finally go offline at the end of the year.

The FDP reacted with severe criticism.

Group leader Christian Dürr told the "Bild" newspaper that the proposals were not enough to reduce electricity prices.

"We have to extend the terms, otherwise there is a risk of absurd costs for consumers." The energy policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Michael Kruse, explained: "The results of the stress test are worth little because the assumptions are too optimistic.

They are politically determined and not derived from reality.”

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) wants to use two nuclear power plants as emergency reserves by April.

© Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Economics Minister Robert Habeck: Two nuclear power plants as a reserve

Representatives of his own party backed Habeck.

Green co-boss Omid Nouripour announced that he would promote the project to the base.

"We will therefore not only put the arms deliveries to Ukraine to the vote at the party congress, but also the limited nuclear power plant reserve," said Nouripour of the German Press Agency.

Green leader Ricarda Lang ruled out turning away from the nuclear phase-out in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.

At the same time, Habeck rejected demands for longer continued operation of the nuclear power plants in the ARD “Tagesthemen”.

Significantly more gas capacities outside of Russia would be available as early as next year.

"That doesn't seem to be so clear, because winter 22/23 and winter 23/24 are always combined." But that's wrong.

"We will have a different energy policy situation next year." Habeck received encouragement from the coalition partner SPD.

Group Vice President Matthias Miersch welcomed the stress test result and Habeck's recommendation as "a good basis for fact-based and careful advice".

The stress test shows: "Atom is not the general solution that many people want."

Discussion about nuclear power plants in Germany: FDP and economy are dissatisfied

Economics Veronika Grimm argued similarly to the FDP and was dissatisfied with the fact that two nuclear power plants should only be kept as emergency reserves.

"Due to the price development on the electricity market, everything must be done to mobilize generation capacities that can be made available at short notice," Grimm told the newspapers of the Funke media group.

The power plants should be running and not just on stand-by, only then would there be a lowering effect on the price of electricity.

"For the three nuclear power plants that are still in operation, one should think about extending the service life by five years." It should also be checked whether the nuclear power plants that have only recently been shut down can be reactivated.

The CDU chairman Friedrich Merz criticized the planned decommissioning of the Emsland nuclear power plant.

"The Greens in the traffic light in Berlin have obviously been put under pressure by the Greens in Lower Saxony to switch off the Emsland nuclear power plant against all reason," Merz told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung".

“Green sensitivities seem to be more important to the Scholz government than the risk of a power outage.

I have absolutely no understanding for such a roulette game with our energy supply.” Habeck had pointed out that this nuclear power plant could make a certain contribution to grid stability.

"But this contribution is too small compared to the two southern German power plants."

In Lower Saxony, a new state parliament will be elected at the beginning of October.

(dpa/tab)