The reserve operation planned by Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) is a solution “to be prepared for an extreme scenario and to prevent possible network instability in the coming winter,” says the paper by the federal executive board around Lang and co-boss Omid Nouripour. Accordingly, it is about making provisions “for the extreme emergency”, “however improbable it may be”.
The Greens’ leadership therefore agrees to “creating a conditional, time-limited nuclear power plant operational reserve that will be strictly monitored by the nuclear supervisory authority.” The delegates are to vote on the paper at the beginning of the three-day party conference, which begins on October 14 in Bonn.
However, the decision to phase out nuclear power should not be shaken. “It is crucial for us that no new fuel elements are procured,” writes the party leadership. “The nuclear phase-out remains.” According to the current legal situation, all three nuclear power plants still in operation in Germany will be shut down by the end of the year. However, Habeck wants to keep two in reserve in case of power shortages until mid-April 2023.
Lang told the Funke newspapers that she was “confident that the party congress will support the path that has now been taken”. Of course there are questions about this in the party, “but above all there is a great willingness to go along with this,” said Lang. “The members notice that we didn’t make it easy for ourselves.” Ultimately, however, the reserve is a last resort.
The Fridays for Future activist Luisa Neubauer complained that in the current energy crisis too much is being thought about the use of coal and nuclear power and not enough about the further expansion of renewable energies. The potential of energy suppliers such as wind and sun would be “systematically hidden,” she told RND. “It gives the impression that we have no other choice but coal and nuclear.” That was “irresponsible” because a turnaround was necessary.
Neubauer did not categorically reject any further use of nuclear power. “In the very worst case, nuclear energy might still have to be used now,” she said. In any case, the debate must be measured “by the demands of the present” and not “by the demands of the 1980s”.
On the other hand, not only the CDU and CSU, but also the FDP, which governs with the Greens, are demanding continued operation in the medium term. FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai told SWR that Germany had “an instrument in its hands called an extension of the term”. This would put the country in a position to prevent an energy crisis in Germany and Europe. “And if you don’t make use of it, that’s a big problem from my point of view,” said Djir-Sarai.
