The remaining three German nuclear power plants should be able to continue operating until mid-April next year at the latest. Chancellor Olaf Scholz decided that, as emerged on Monday from a letter from the SPD politician to the responsible ministers published by the Federal Press Office. Scholz instructs the ministers to submit legislative proposals to the cabinet so that the Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2 and Emsland nuclear power plants can continue to operate beyond the end of the year until April 15, 2023 at the latest.
The FDP immediately welcomed the decision, the Greens reacted cautiously. For days, these two traffic light partners in particular had been arguing about whether and for how long the three nuclear power plants that were still running should continue to be operated.
At a party congress over the weekend, the Greens decided to support so-called stretching operations for the Isar 2 kiln in Bavaria and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württemberg until mid-April 2023, if necessary. The nuclear phase-out that was once agreed actually provides for the end of operations for all German nuclear power plants at the turn of the year. The FDP also wanted to keep the third Emsland nuclear power plant in Lower Saxony connected to the grid and run all three until 2024. If necessary, nuclear power plants that have already been shut down should be reactivated.
Scholz wrote that an ambitious law to increase energy efficiency should also be presented. The agreement between the economics ministries in the federal government and North Rhine-Westphalia and the energy company RWE on the phase-out of coal in the Rhenish area should also be “implemented by legislation”.
Among other things, the agreement provides for two lignite-fired power plants to run until 2024, but to bring forward the phase-out of coal in the Rhenish mining area to 2030. The federal government also wants to create the conditions for the construction of new “hydrogen-capable gas power plants”, i.e. power plants that can later be operated with climate-friendly hydrogen.
With this step, Scholz made use of his directive competence, which is anchored in Article 65 of the Basic Law. Accordingly, the chancellor “determines the guidelines of politics and is responsible for them”. It also says: “The federal government decides on differences of opinion between the federal ministers.” With his decision, Scholz is now creating a way out for the Greens and FDP, who had got stuck with incompatible positions.
Incumbent Federal Chancellors only make use of the directive competence in special cases. In 2016, for example, former Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) decided on the question of whether a criminal investigation against the satirist Jan Böhmermann for insulting the Turkish President should be allowed. Based on this decision, investigations against the German satirist were possible.
Lindner welcomed the Chancellor’s decision. “It is in the vital interest of our country and its economy that we maintain all energy production capacities this winter. The Federal Chancellor has now clarified things.” FDP faction leader Christian Dürr wrote on Twitter: “Good news against the background of the energy crisis.”
The First Parliamentary Secretary of the SPD parliamentary group, Katja Mast, praised the decision as “an appropriate, pragmatic solution for nuclear power”. She wrote on Twitter: “Now all our strength in the expansion of renewables and speed with gas and electricity price brakes!”
The Greens leadership reacted reservedly. “The Emsland nuclear power plant is not necessary for network stability,” said the party’s co-chairman, Ricarda Lang, of the German Press Agency in Berlin. “Accordingly, we do not consider continued operation necessary.” However, it is clear that no new fuel rods will be procured and that all German nuclear power plants will be taken off the grid on April 15, 2023. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) made a similar statement. “Now there is clarity: the nuclear phase-out remains,” she wrote on Twitter.
criticism from the opposition
The Union faction leader and CDU chairman Friedrich Merz told the “Welt” that Scholz’s decision fell short. “The German nuclear power plants must – as the FDP has demanded – continue to run with new fuel rods until 2024.” Bavaria’s Prime Minister and CSU boss Markus Söder was disappointed. “This is a solution to the traffic light dispute, but not to the electricity problem in Germany,” he wrote on Twitter.
AfD Group Vice Leif-Erik Holm spoke of a lazy compromise. “Runtimes only until next spring are too short and not enough, because the critical winter will follow next year.”
The head of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, wrote on Twitter: “Smart compromise on security of supply.” The environmental organization Greenpeace reacted with outrage. “The extension of the lifetime of the nuclear power plants exposes us all to an irresponsible risk,” explained the executive director of Greenpeace Germany, Martin Kaiser. The nuclear power plants shouldn’t stay connected to the grid for a day longer in order to clearly limit the possible consequences in the event of an attack. “In times of hybrid warfare, the operation of nuclear power plants is irresponsible.”
