From the point of view of the climate activist Luisa Neubauer, the current energy crisis is giving too much thought to the use of coal and nuclear power and not enough to the further expansion of renewable energies. “If you are now investing so much energy, creativity and money in coal or nuclear, where the hell is that energy when it comes to renewable energy?” the Fridays for Future activist told the editorial network Germany (Saturday editions).
In the current debate, the potential of energy suppliers such as wind and sun are “systematically ignored”, criticized Neubauer. “It gives the impression that we have no other choice but coal and nuclear power.” This is “irresponsible” and “a turnaround” is necessary, the activist demanded.
Federal Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) announced on Monday that the southern German nuclear power plants Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 should be placed in an emergency reserve beyond the legally prescribed end on December 31 and restarted if necessary. He ruled out continued operation beyond reserve maintenance. Habeck’s announcement was met with criticism both inside and outside the traffic light coalition.
In discussions with the RND, Neubauer did not categorically reject further use of nuclear power. “In the very worst case, nuclear energy may still have to be used now,” she said. In any case, an extension of the service life of two of the three remaining nuclear power plants in Germany “must be measured against the demands of the present and not against the demands of the 1980s”.
According to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, the operators of the three nuclear power plants still in operation were aware of this option even before the decision was made to run an emergency reserve. Talks had been held before the political decision was made, a spokesman for the Ministry of Economic Affairs (BMWK) said on Friday. These talks, which are about the implementation of a possible reserve operation, are currently going on.
The background is the current discussion about the technical feasibility of a nuclear reserve operation, as the federal government has in mind. Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) presented plans on Monday according to which the three remaining German nuclear power plants should cease regular operation at the end of the year, as agreed in the Nuclear Phase-Out Act – but the Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 (EnBW) power plants should remain in reserve and at the latest be finally switched off in mid-April. As a result, the operator of the Bavarian Akw Isar 2, Preussenelektra boss Guido Knott, had expressed doubts and criticized the planned reserve operation in a letter as “technically not feasible”. Habeck had promptly rejected this.
