If you believe the words of CSU boss Markus Söder, his call for Bavaria to go it alone in nuclear power is just a reaction to federal policy failure. With the shutdown of nuclear energy, Germany’s future is lost and the country’s “prosperity ice cream” is getting thinner every day, he said on Monday at the CSU headquarters in Munich. What’s more: the implementation of the nuclear phase-out was a serious mistake and a “stubborn decision against the majority of the population”.
Critics accuse Söder of populist election campaign maneuvers, because there will be elections in Bavaria in October. But what is behind the plan to keep the 35-year-old Isar 2 nuclear reactor running under Bavarian self-government? Important questions and answers at a glance:
How does Söder imagine the state company in concrete terms?
Even before nuclear power was phased out, the operation of the reactors – not just in Bavaria – was purely a matter for the federal states. “The federal states alone are responsible for security,” emphasized Söder. “In that respect it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Does the state need a constitutional amendment?
The Basic Law regulates the sole responsibility of the federal government for the use of nuclear power. The Basic Law would have to be changed for a state to be responsible for the continuation. However, this is only possible with a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag and the Bundesrat. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) has already rejected a transfer of competencies. However, Bavaria could also submit the application for the change directly to the state chamber or the CSU or other parties to the Bundestag.
What about the Atomic Energy Act and other legal bases?
The Atomic Energy Act would also have to be amended in any case. The current version has prohibited the operation of nuclear power plants since April 16, 2023. With the nuclear phase-out, the previous authorization to operate the reactors at power has irretrievably expired. For continued operation, EU law also requires a thorough examination, which usually lasts several years. In fact, Isar 2 would need a new permit, which in turn requires the current state of research and technology.
Why does Söder want to continue using nuclear energy in Bavaria?
The Bavarian Prime Minister is of the opinion that abandoning nuclear power is not compatible with the growing hunger for energy in Germany, but also in his state. According to him, every scrap of energy must be used, also to ensure grid stability.
For how long does Söder want to continue to rely on nuclear power?
In the press conference he spoke of another three to five years, a few days ago he named the time corridor until the end of the current decade. In fact, he repeatedly emphasizes that it will be necessary until the energy transition is complete and a base load-capable supply of renewables is ensured.
What does the requirement for the search for a repository mean?
From Söder’s point of view, none. The accumulated nuclear waste is already being stored at the respective power plants, but only in interim storage facilities above ground – the amount that continued operation would also entail is “not a real challenge”. Bavaria will also continue to participate in the nationwide search – but he does not see that Bavaria would now “take over the garbage of the others”.
What is Söder’s basic position on the subject of nuclear waste disposal?
Söder makes no secret of being skeptical about the previous repository concept, the search for an underground repository for the next one million years. “From my point of view, it is a typical impression of a rather dystopian, anti-research perspective not to recognize that there is some research progress in the world today, including in Germany, with reactors that convert waste into quasi new energy.” In the end, this is also “the much smarter way” “than planning any camps and warehouses for a million years”.
Is Söder’s plan even possible from the operator’s point of view?
The plant manager of Isar 2, Carsten Müller, repeatedly emphasized that Prussia, as the operator, was in principle willing to talk to Elektra if the politicians wanted it. For continued operation, however, not only fuel is required, which according to Müller is “still there”. But there is more to operating a plant. According to Müller, it is not possible to say from when continued operation will no longer be possible due to the dismantling: “There are many steps that are now being carried out and we will check exactly at the point in time when we are asked whether it is possible to operate again is and which necessities must be implemented so that a restart works technically and functionally.”
