Continued operation of Isar 2: headwind for Söder’s nuclear power plant requirement

The German nuclear power plants are switched off, but Bavaria’s Prime Minister Söder wants to continue operating Isar 2 under state responsibility. The Greens speak of “election campaign maneuvers”. Criticism also comes from the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management.

The Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) has criticized the Bavarian demand that nuclear power plants that have been shut down continue to be operated under state responsibility. “Today’s demands from the Bavarian Prime Minister underscore how important it is that the political responsibility for nuclear safety in Germany lies with the federal government,” said President Wolfram König of the dpa news agency.

“The Bundestag and all federal states, including Bavaria, have not only agreed to phase out nuclear energy, but have also initiated the search for a repository based on scientific criteria.” Bavaria’s required special route contradicts applicable law and endangers the search for a repository.

Söder for continued operation of the nuclear power plant in state government

The last three remaining German nuclear power plants were shut down late on Saturday evening, including Isar 2 in Bavaria. In the “Bild am Sonntag”, CSU Prime Minister Markus Söder called for the Atomic Energy Act to be changed again and for the federal states to be given responsibility so that the reactor can continue to operate independently. “As long as the crisis does not end and the transition to renewables does not succeed, we must use every form of energy by the end of the decade,” said Söder. Bavaria also wants to be a pioneer in nuclear fusion research. Söder spoke out in favor of building its own research reactor – “gladly in cooperation with other countries”.

Greens accuse Söder of “election campaign maneuvers”.

The leader of the Greens in the Bundestag, Britta Haßelmann, criticized Söder’s demand as pure party tactics. “Söder’s statements are a transparent election campaign maneuver,” she told the dpa. A new state parliament will be elected in Bavaria in October.

“The Atomic Energy Act has required the immediate dismantling of nuclear power plants since 2017. If Söder now wants to prevent or delay the dismantling of a nuclear power plant, it must be checked whether this does not trigger liability claims against the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment,” she explained.

“One must also be able to expect a bit of seriousness from Markus Söder. Instead of conducting backward-looking debates, Söder would be well advised to finally put the turbo on the expansion of wind power and electricity grids in Bavaria and finally take responsibility for the search for a repository for nuclear waste take over,” said Hasselmann.

In the past few weeks, the CSU boss had repeatedly criticized the nuclear phase-out and called for an extension of the term. He believes in a new version of nuclear energy. “We feel this big energy crisis, we need every scrap of energy,” said Söder on Friday evening daily topics explained. Doing without nuclear energy and relying on coal is a double standard.