German authorities took the historic step on Saturday of phasing out nuclear power entirely amid a devastating energy crisis, leaving more than half of Germans polled to oppose the decision.
Authorities have decommissioned the last three operating nuclear power plants, owned by Essar 2 in Bavaria, in the east of the country, and the Necker-Festheim 2 and Emmsland nuclear power plants in the north of the country near the Dutch border.
This decision against the backdrop of the energy crisis in the country caused discussions and disagreements in society and political circles in Germany, which are unlikely to subside in the near future and may flare up with renewed vigor in the event of an energy shortage.
The authorities planned to turn off the last nuclear power plants by January 1, 2023, but due to the shortage of electricity, it was decided to extend the operation until April 15, after which the German government will no longer extend the operation of the stations. date of.
The decision to phase out the nuclear power plant was made in 2011 under former Chancellor Angela Merkel after the accident at the Japanese nuclear power plant Fukushima-1.
According to the Bild newspaper, a poll by the German ENSA institute shows that more than half of Germans (52%) oppose the final closure of the last three nuclear power plants, while 37% of those polled were against the point of view, and 11% of Germans refused to provide any -any information on this subject, so that 1004 people were included in the study.
German opposition leader Friedrich Merz commented on the closure of the nuclear power plant, saying: “Tomorrow is going to be a bad day. This is a dark day for Germany.”
According to some industry associations, the phase-out of nuclear power in parallel with the phase-out of coal-fired power plants, which should be completed before 2030 in the western states of Germany and before 2038 in the eastern states, is an experiment with unforeseen consequences for the environment and price dynamics for electricity and cost structures of industrial firms.
As previously pointed out by the President of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peter Adrian, Germany is not yet able to guarantee its own energy security, and the risks of problems with energy supply are still short-term and long-term.
The head of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry added: “We have not yet managed to ensure energy security, and this applies not only to the upcoming winter, but also in the long term.”
He explained that Germany “needs to use all available sources of energy” because this is the only way to “avoid or at least mitigate” electricity price spikes and supply difficulties.
The President of the Chamber of Commerce also drew attention to the fact that in Germany there is a “still unknown” danger posed by power outages or restrictions on its use, noting that this seriously undermines the country’s position as a world power. leading industrial manufacturer.
Source: TASS
