Merkel's Cabinet Backs Nuclear Shutdown, Wins Support

[kristopher]

Merkel's Cabinet Backs Nuclear Shutdown, Wins Support

June 6 (Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet backed plans to close Germany's nuclear power plants by 2022 as the main opposition party signaled its support for the energy overhaul, easing the way for the legislation to pass parliament.

"A consensus over the nuclear phase-out is possible," Thomas Oppermann, parliamentary group leader for the Social Democrats, said on ARD television today. After extending reactor running times last year, Merkel has performed "a 180-degree turn" and reverted to a policy pioneered by the SPD, he said. "We can support it if this holds and is lasting."

Ministers meeting in Berlin today agreed on the energy switch that will make Germany the biggest nation to swear off nuclear power in favor of renewable sources after this year's meltdown in Japan. To fill the gap, the government is investing in offshore wind, pursuing carbon capture and storage technology and easing the way for new power grids to handle output from renewable sources. It also aims to make available 500 million euros ($730 million) to compensate industry for any electricity price increases.

Nordex SE, a German wind-turbine maker, surged as much as 7.5 percent in Frankfurt trading today and was up 2.2 percent at 6.80 euros at 1:35 p.m. The stock rose the most in two months last week as the coalition announced the nuclear exit. Centrotec Sustainable AG, a maker of energy-saving boilers, fell 0.2 percent to 20.06 euros after rising as much as 1.7 percent....

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/06/05/bloomberg1376-LMD2CM1A74E901-7NTB78BOCAAV8R3GMI2OS78IOU.DTL

Two points to add. The article goes on to state that Germany's largest utilities have had their profit forecasts reduced by 10% due to the loss of some of their nuclear portfolio.

The second point is that the intention to proceed in developing coal with carbon capture and storage PREDATES the decision on nuclear and was part of the same rightist energy policy that pushed for EXTENDING the life of the nuclear plants.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. It appears that the German approach does count on those new coal fired plants

[kristopher]

2. Merkel's cabinet wanted more nuclear and more coal.

They passed the law pushing coal CCS two months ago. Coal and nuclear are two sides of the same centralized generation coin.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Regardless, the current German plan is to partialy substitute fossil fuels for nuclear

not just use renewables. Some what surprising.

[kristopher]

4. They are dropping nuclear and moving to renewables.

Deal with it.

[FBaggins]

5. Um... no. They're the ones who have to "deal with it".

It's their own error. They have to pay the price for their decisions (a very literal "price").

More polution, more CO2, and higher electricity prices... while still using nuclear power to replace nuclear power (just paying some other country to give it to them).

[txlibdem]

6. Germany and Japan are embarking on a huge energy experiment by dropping nuclear power

It will be interesting to see if renewable energy can be made into a 24/7/365 stable energy source while keeping costs withing reasonable limits.

Of course it can be done. Anything can be done. A friend of mine used to have a poster on his wall that said: "Cheap, Good, Fast: Choose any two." The meaning is that there are going to be trade-offs in anything you do.

Do the Germans or the Japanese have the "intestinal fortitude" to tackle improvements in 1) Renewable energy generation, 2) Energy storage, and 3) The Grid, whether that be centralized or distributed or a hybrid of the two.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. I am with you on this one

Be nice if Japan takes a 100% renewables approach or otherwise varies from Germany to be able to evaluate the different approaches. Both nations have populations that are more receptive to government driven things of this magnitude vice the US. It will be very interesting to see what they can do.

[kristopher]

7. They have the nuclear industry petrified.

[FBaggins]

8. Lol! You wish

How many reactors was Germany expected to build over the next 20-30 years that the "nuclear industry" must now do without? How does that number compare with the number that the Saudis announced just this week? With the number that China is building that seemingly grows larger by the day?

I'm sure they're just quaking in their boots. :sarcasm:

The folks who are really "petrified" include yourself of course. If even Fukushima ("Chernobyl on steroids!!!") can't stop the nuclear expansion... what on earth is left for you to pray for?

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SpoonFed]

12. A different metric...

I'd measure the nuke power industry's fear by the amount of pro-spin that has been going on the DU forums. It's very real spin and it's been going on for (in my experience at least months, since Fukushima blew up), unlike some recent press announcements that may or may not be worth the paper they are written on.

Get back to us in 10-15 years if/when those announced nuke plants in the democratic republics :sarcasm: of Saud and China ever get built. Then come back in 27,000 years if the decendants of Fukushima prefecture think Daichi/Daini was a good a idea.

I think GE's recent speculations and Chinas from 0% to world's largest PV manufacturer in 5 years speaks louder than your wishful thinking. Didn't you get the memo?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. My question was it 100% renewables, and the answer is apparently not

Germany and Japan are going to be the pioneers on dropping nuclear energy. That Germany at this point is willing to build new fossil power plants to do it is an indicator of how strong their desire to jettison nuclear is. Be interesting to see if Japan follows suit.