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purerandomness 3 hours ago

The Greens were not in Office when the nuclear exit was decided 2011.

The Greens actually prolonged their life time during Covid, after RWE, EON and EnBW argued that it does not make sense economically to let them run longer.

No insurer wanted to insure nuclear, and no energy company wanted to keep losing money on nuclear.

Since nuclear is the most expensive form of energy generation, it makes sense to switch it off first.

throw0101d 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> The Greens were not in Office when the nuclear exit was decided 2011.

Schröder was talking about it in 2000:

* https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/jun/15/johnhooper

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerhard_Schröder#Domestic_poli...

Oh, and he was appointed to Gazprom (and other Russian energy companies) after leaving politics:

* https://www.dw.com/en/former-chancellor-schröder-sworn-in-at...

(He did encourage renewables as well.)

> No insurer wanted to insure nuclear, and no energy company wanted to keep losing money on nuclear.

The German government(s) helped kickstart the global solar price drop by their subsidy programs in the early 2000s that allowed for economies of scale, so I'm surprised that—if they're really worried about climate change—they would not subsidize the alleged expenses of running the low-carbon generation of nuclear.

> Since nuclear is the most expensive form of energy generation, it makes sense to switch it off first.

It's so expensive that prices in France, which generates >60% of power with nuclear, are at the same levels (or lower) as Germany, while producing less carbon per kWh than Germany (a quarter from some articles I've found).

See perhaps:

> […] Alternatively, Germany could have kept the existing nuclear power in 2002 and possibly invest in new nuclear capacity. The analysis of these two alternatives shows that Germany could have reached its climate gas emission target by achieving a 73% cut in emissions on top of the achievements in 2022 and simultaneously cut the spending in half compared to Energiewende. Thus, Germany should have adopted an energy policy based on keeping and expanding nuclear power.

* https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14786451.2024.2...

RandomLensman 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Politically that would have been done how? I think in restropect removing nuclear powerplants that make awful targets in a conflict doesn't strike me as a bad choice either.

throw0101d 3 hours ago | parent [-]

> Politically that would have been done how? I think in restropect removing nuclear powerplants that make awful targets in a conflict doesn't strike me as a bad choice either.

The only people causing conflict is Russia, and Germany had to be dragged kicking and screaming in shutting down Russian supply pipelines, so don't go talking about "security" when the actions from Berlin showed there was zero consideration for it:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nord_Stream

When the architect of the retirement ends up on the board of Gazprom:

* https://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/jun/15/johnhooper

* https://www.dw.com/en/former-chancellor-schröder-sworn-in-at...

RandomLensman 3 hours ago | parent [-]

An adversary could not strike a nuclear powerplant? I said in retrospect in my view, didn't I, not that it was a consideration then (or now).

Gazprom suspended supply via NS1 indefinitely before it was destroyed.

Krasnol 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> It's so expensive that prices in France, which generates >60% of power with nuclear, are at the same levels (or lower) as Germany, while producing less carbon per kWh than Germany (a quarter from some articles I've found).

Maybe you should take a closer look how those prices come to be.

Every single nuclear watt is being subsidised and has been for decades.

Last time they wanted to play the free market game, they had to bring the company back into the forgiving hands of the French taxpayer.

I have rather Germany invest into future tech then waste it on rotting reactors which are obviously unfit for the current state of global warming already.

Nuclear was clogging up the grid with it's expensive energy. It is gone now and the grid is diversifying while it follows the path of complete decarbonisation.

There is absolutely no reason to look back for Germany and only those whose ideology is "looking back" seriously do that currently.

realusername 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> Every single nuclear watt is being subsidised and has been for decades.

You won't find any grid which isn't subsidized, remember Germany already spent ~2x the French grid and that didn't spend by itself.

cyberax 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> Every single nuclear watt is being subsidised and has been for decades.

So is everything else.

belorn 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Can coal plants buy insurance against global warming? Can a hydroelectric dam buy insurance against downstream flooding?

Very few things in the power grid has insurance against major accidents. It is even doubtful for example if a forest fires caused by transmission lines will be repaid in full by the insurance of the power company, and to the degree that will pay all costs to property and land owners

looperhacks 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I agree with everything you say, but the initial "Atomausstieg" was decided in 2000/put into law in 2002, when the Greens were in office. The exit was delayed in 2010 (and then accelerated again in 2011) by the CDU/CSU/FDP, but the initial decision for the exit was very with involvement of the Green party