Status: 10/17/2022 7:25 p.m
After weeks of argument, Chancellor Scholz has spoken a word of power: The three remaining nuclear power plants should be able to continue operating until April 15, 2023. He announced this in a letter to the responsible ministers.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz made a clear announcement within the government in the nuclear power plant dispute. The remaining three German nuclear power plants should be able to continue running until April 15, 2023 at the latest.
Based on his authority to issue guidelines, Scholz ordered that the legal basis be created to operate the Isar 2, Neckarwestheim 2 and Emsland nuclear power plants beyond December 31, until April 15, 2023 at the latest. He sent a letter to this effect to Economics Minister Robert Habeck, Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and Finance Minister Christian Lindner.
Chancellor insists on timely proposals
Scholz went on to say that “in parallel with this decision” an ambitious law to increase energy efficiency should be presented. In addition, the political agreement between the economics ministries in the federal government and North Rhine-Westphalia and the energy company RWE on the coal phase-out in the Rhenish area should be “implemented by legislation”.
Among other things, the agreement provides for two lignite-fired power plants to run longer, until 2024, but to bring forward the phase-out of coal in the Rhenish mining area by eight years to 2030. In his letter, Scholz asks the responsible ministers “to present the relevant regulatory proposals to the cabinet in a timely manner”.
FDP for nuclear reactivation
For days, the FDP and the Greens in particular had been arguing about whether and for how long the three nuclear power plants that were still in operation should continue to operate. A plan by Economics Minister Robert Habeck had envisaged transferring only the Isar 2 nuclear power plant in Bavaria and Neckarwestheim 2 in Baden-Württemberg to a so-called operational reserve and thus enabling continued operation until mid-April if necessary. At their party conference at the weekend, the Greens once again ruled out continued operation of the Emsland nuclear reactor beyond 2022.
The FDP around Finance Minister Christian Lindner, on the other hand, insisted on the continued operation of the Emsland nuclear power plant and on running times until spring 2024. If necessary, nuclear power plants that had already been shut down should be reactivated.
Lindner: Clarity created
Lindner welcomed Scholz’s decision. “It is in the vital interest of our country and its economy that we maintain all energy production capacities this winter. The Chancellor has now created clarity,” said Lindner. The further use of the Emsland nuclear power plant is “an important contribution to grid stability, electricity costs and climate protection”. The proposal therefore finds the full support of the FDP.
The SPD parliamentary group also agreed. “The chancellor uses his authority to set guidelines and presents an appropriate, pragmatic solution for nuclear power,” writes Katja Mast, parliamentary director of the SPD parliamentary group, on Twitter. Now you have to put all your energy into expanding renewable energies.