On Saturday evening, Germany will close its last three nuclear power plants. When Angela Merkel and her government made the decision to close in 2011, the people’s support was great. Now, when it’s time to strike again, the debate has taken on new life. New calls to postpone the shutdown of Germany’s last nuclear power reactors have recently come both from the opposition and from politicians in parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition. This week they were dismissed by the German government. The nuclear power phase-out on April 15, which is now Saturday, is done and done, said the Chancellor’s spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann on Wednesday, according to the AP news agency. Swing in public opinion Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year brought new life to the debate about nuclear power. Since Merkel’s decision to shut down had great popular support, the majority of Germans in August wanted to see an extension of nuclear power, according to a poll in Der Spiegel. 41 percent of those who answered even wanted to build more nuclear power plants. Critics have said the long-planned shutdown will force Germany to rely more on fossil fuels, running counter to a pledge to phase out coal by 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2045. Focus on renewables The last shutdown was supposed to be implemented as early as December 31, 2022, but was postponed due to the energy crisis that arose as a result of the war in Ukraine. The reactors that are now clapping again have altogether accounted for around 6 percent of the country’s electricity. The closure raises concerns that the country will not be able to produce the amount of electricity needed. However, the authorities claim that the need can be met with the help of coal power, gas and the renewable energy that the government has promised to expand quickly. Opponents of nuclear power are celebrating that the last nuclear reactors are being bombed again, and according to Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, Germany will therefore become safer, reports Tagesschau. – With the closure of the last three nuclear power plants, we are entering a new era of energy production, she says.
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