In 2012 EURACTIVITY entreated Germany that their plans to shut down all nuclear plants in the next 15 years will have an adverse impact on the country’s energy security, economic efficiency and efforts to curb greenhouse-gas emissions, warned the IEA in a country review, published on 4 June. While praising Germany’s “commitment to sound energy policies”, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a 2007 country report that important challenges remained, with the planned nuclear phase-out chief among them. According to the IEA, eliminating nuclear from Germany’s supply portfolio will have the following consequences:
- A reduction in supply diversity and “increasing reliance on energy imports, particularly natural gas, which is not diversified enough”;
- A setback for the economy as the phase-out will require “additional near-term investments in new capacity that could otherwise be avoided”, and;
- Additional pressure to reduce greenhouse gas as the Paris-based agency notes that “generation from nuclear power is free of greenhouse-gas emissions”.
“While additional renewables capacity, along with energy efficiency gains, could certainly make up some of the resulting gap, there will be greater reliance on carbon-emitting fuels,” the IEA warned. “Without a doubt, a phase-out will limit Germany’s full potential to reduce its emissions.” “The IEA urged the government to reconsider the decision to phase out nuclear power in light of these adverse consequences.” The statement will infuriate green campaigners, who say the argument that nuclear should be part of the solution to climate change is “a red herring” and that nuclear could not survive on a liberalized energy market without massive government support. The exclusion of nuclear from EU competition rules “runs counter to the development of a free internal market in energy”, according to the Greens in the European Parliament, who blame the “outdated” 1957 Euratom Treaty for allowing this.
“The Euratom Treaty…is one of the reasons why the European Union is so slow to act when it comes to switching to safe and sustainable sources of energy,” said Renate Künast, Germany’s former environment minister, as she believes it “enshrines a one-sided support” in favor of nuclear energy. “Even member states which have decided to abandon nuclear energy…are obliged to support nuclear energy,” under the Treaty, Künast pointed out.
[In 2020, the date continues (more), nuclear power is gaining strength as some "Greens" see the inherent failings in wind and solar projects as the overlooked and under-estimated costs of O&M begin to degrade the notion that energy from wind and the sun are free. Even many European member states are now support new construction for nuclear energy. As consumer costs of electricity increase rapidly in Europe and California, where renewables attempt to provide grid-power, their power systems still need back-up by natural gas or nuclear power. Since California turned their political backsides to nuclear power, they now must deal with natural gas to provide electricity to consumers. With the new SMRs, the Californian "Greens" may yet turn back to nuclear power, albeit of the small variety, as may Germany.]
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