In April last year, Germany closed the last active nuclear power plants. In the fight against climate change and in the search for green alternatives to fossil fuels, the government in Berlin – contrary to a growing trend in Europe – did not rely on nuclear energy. This is criticized in the US. Former Energy Minister Steven Chu even accuses the Green ruling party of “spreading false information.”
In an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” Chu urgently advises the Germans to reconsider their energy policy. There is a risk that large parts of heavy industry will leave. This depends on a stable and cheap power supply – 24 hours a day. “So when individual people say they don’t want this, they don’t want that, they don’t want nuclear, they don’t want coal, they can do everything with renewable energy, then clearly these people don’t do that. running semiconductor factories, chemical plants or factories,” the 75-year-old Nobel laureate said.
If you want to achieve the climate goals and at the same time maintain jobs and survive global competition, nuclear energy ‘doesn’t look that bad’, the former minister emphasizes. According to him, nuclear reactors would be preferable to gas-fired power plants, as envisaged in Germany’s recently adopted power plant strategy. These are intended to absorb fluctuations in the electricity input from wind turbines and solar systems, but will also be gradually converted to more climate-friendly hydrogen.
In this context, Chu speaks of “false information” that the Greens would spread. The party’s position is “incompatible with our future reality.”
The ‘real’ costs of nuclear energy
However, environmental protection groups repeatedly emphasize that the theory spread by the nuclear lobby that nuclear energy is so cheap is not entirely true. The German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation explains on its website that the construction of nuclear reactors requires large investments that can only be made by large companies. This leads to “insufficient competition” and possible price agreements. There would also be huge government subsidies.
Moreover, one should not forget that the price of electricity “does not reflect the true cost of nuclear energy”. In this context, reference is made to a study by the Ecological-Social Market Economy Forum on the real costs of different forms of energy for society as a whole. If we take into account all factors for people and the environment, one kilowatt hour (kWh) of nuclear energy costs a maximum of 42.2 cents. Wind energy, on the other hand, only costs about 8.1 cents/kWh, the study quotes.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
