After gas crisis, Germany takes another look at nuclear power - Business - International Herald Tribune
After gas crisis, Germany takes another look at nuclear power - Business - International Herald Tribune
Reuters, The Associated PressWEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2006
BERLIN Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed her commitment Wednesday to phase out Germany's nuclear power plants amid a heated debate over German energy policies prompted by the natural gas crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
The showdown between those countries over the pricing and delivery of natural gas to Ukraine sharpened a debate within Merkel's government over whether the country should stick with measures passed by her predecessor to close all nuclear power plants by about 2020.
Germany receives roughly 30 percent of its natural gas from Russia, and supplies dwindled during the dispute, which ended Wednesday.
Conservatives, notably members of the Bavarian Christian Social Union, see the Russian gas dispute as an opportunity to reopen the nuclear debate. It was one of the most contentious issues in talks among the parties to form what is now the governing coalition.
"If we rely too much on oil or gas - for example, Russian gas - then we can run into massive problems," the party's general secretary, Markus Söder, told the German television station n-tv. "In the long term there is no alternative to nuclear power."
Top party members want the nuclear power issue on the agenda at a two-day cabinet meeting next week, when the parties aim to agree on measures to stimulate the economy. A government spokesman said Wednesday that nuclear power would be a central theme at an energy summit meeting Merkel is tentatively planning for March.
Edmund Stoiber, the head of the Christian Social Union, which is an ally of Merkel's Christian Democrats, called for the government to go back on its agreement to close Germany's 17 remaining reactors, to reduce its dependence on energy from other countries.
"One should be able to discuss this without it provoking a fight within the coalition," he said.
But Merkel's other coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party, which controlled the previous government, rejected the demand to reverse the anti-nuclear policy.
Thomas Steg, a spokesman for Merkel, said Wednesday that the nuclear issue had already been settled during coalition talks last year. The chancellor sees "no reason to take a stance on this again," Steg said. "Nothing has changed on this."
"Using the current debate over gas supply to Ukraine to push for a renaissance of nuclear power in Germany is highly irresponsible," said Heiko Maas, a leading Socialist politician from the state of Saarland. "What we need is a healthy mix of renewable energy and domestic energy sources."
Nuclear power is a sensitive issue in Germany, particularly since the Chernobyl accident in 1986.
Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder signed the shut-down agreement with power companies in 2001. His Social Democratic Party made keeping it a condition of their participation in Merkel's government coalition, after inconclusive parliamentary elections in September.
Where there does appear to be a consensus among German politicians and energy experts is on the need for the country to look beyond Russia for its energy needs. The resolution of the dispute between Russia and Ukraine Wednesday seemed unlikely to end the debate in Germany.
"Germany was under the illusion that the energy question could be solved with a market approach, through private companies," Frank Umbach, an energy expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations, which is based in Berlin, told Die Welt. "Germany lacks a foreign policy strategy in the energy area."
EDF's safety is questioned
Électricité de France, the world's largest operator of nuclear power stations, has put safety at risk to cut costs, according to the Confederation Générale du Travail, the utility's largest union, Bloomberg reported from Paris.
The union, which opposed the initial public offering in November of shares in the company, said EDF's safety record slipped as it prepared for the share sale.
EDF said there had not been any change in its commitment to safety or its safety record.
"There has been no increase in safety incidences," said François Molho, a spokesman for the utility in Paris. "There's no difference."
BERLIN Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed her commitment Wednesday to phase out Germany's nuclear power plants amid a heated debate over German energy policies prompted by the natural gas crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
The showdown between those countries over the pricing and delivery of natural gas to Ukraine sharpened a debate within Merkel's government over whether the country should stick with measures passed by her predecessor to close all nuclear power plants by about 2020.
Germany receives roughly 30 percent of its natural gas from Russia, and supplies dwindled during the dispute, which ended Wednesday.
Conservatives, notably members of the Bavarian Christian Social Union, see the Russian gas dispute as an opportunity to reopen the nuclear debate. It was one of the most contentious issues in talks among the parties to form what is now the governing coalition.
"If we rely too much on oil or gas - for example, Russian gas - then we can run into massive problems," the party's general secretary, Markus Söder, told the German television station n-tv. "In the long term there is no alternative to nuclear power."
Top party members want the nuclear power issue on the agenda at a two-day cabinet meeting next week, when the parties aim to agree on measures to stimulate the economy. A government spokesman said Wednesday that nuclear power would be a central theme at an energy summit meeting Merkel is tentatively planning for March.
Edmund Stoiber, the head of the Christian Social Union, which is an ally of Merkel's Christian Democrats, called for the government to go back on its agreement to close Germany's 17 remaining reactors, to reduce its dependence on energy from other countries.
"One should be able to discuss this without it provoking a fight within the coalition," he said.
But Merkel's other coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party, which controlled the previous government, rejected the demand to reverse the anti-nuclear policy.
Thomas Steg, a spokesman for Merkel, said Wednesday that the nuclear issue had already been settled during coalition talks last year. The chancellor sees "no reason to take a stance on this again," Steg said. "Nothing has changed on this."
"Using the current debate over gas supply to Ukraine to push for a renaissance of nuclear power in Germany is highly irresponsible," said Heiko Maas, a leading Socialist politician from the state of Saarland. "What we need is a healthy mix of renewable energy and domestic energy sources."
Nuclear power is a sensitive issue in Germany, particularly since the Chernobyl accident in 1986.
Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder signed the shut-down agreement with power companies in 2001. His Social Democratic Party made keeping it a condition of their participation in Merkel's government coalition, after inconclusive parliamentary elections in September.
Where there does appear to be a consensus among German politicians and energy experts is on the need for the country to look beyond Russia for its energy needs. The resolution of the dispute between Russia and Ukraine Wednesday seemed unlikely to end the debate in Germany.
"Germany was under the illusion that the energy question could be solved with a market approach, through private companies," Frank Umbach, an energy expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations, which is based in Berlin, told Die Welt. "Germany lacks a foreign policy strategy in the energy area."
EDF's safety is questioned
Électricité de France, the world's largest operator of nuclear power stations, has put safety at risk to cut costs, according to the Confederation Générale du Travail, the utility's largest union, Bloomberg reported from Paris.
The union, which opposed the initial public offering in November of shares in the company, said EDF's safety record slipped as it prepared for the share sale.
EDF said there had not been any change in its commitment to safety or its safety record.
"There has been no increase in safety incidences," said François Molho, a spokesman for the utility in Paris. "There's no difference."
Reuters, The Associated PressWEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2006
BERLIN Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed her commitment Wednesday to phase out Germany's nuclear power plants amid a heated debate over German energy policies prompted by the natural gas crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
The showdown between those countries over the pricing and delivery of natural gas to Ukraine sharpened a debate within Merkel's government over whether the country should stick with measures passed by her predecessor to close all nuclear power plants by about 2020.
Germany receives roughly 30 percent of its natural gas from Russia, and supplies dwindled during the dispute, which ended Wednesday.
Conservatives, notably members of the Bavarian Christian Social Union, see the Russian gas dispute as an opportunity to reopen the nuclear debate. It was one of the most contentious issues in talks among the parties to form what is now the governing coalition.
"If we rely too much on oil or gas - for example, Russian gas - then we can run into massive problems," the party's general secretary, Markus Söder, told the German television station n-tv. "In the long term there is no alternative to nuclear power."
Top party members want the nuclear power issue on the agenda at a two-day cabinet meeting next week, when the parties aim to agree on measures to stimulate the economy. A government spokesman said Wednesday that nuclear power would be a central theme at an energy summit meeting Merkel is tentatively planning for March.
Edmund Stoiber, the head of the Christian Social Union, which is an ally of Merkel's Christian Democrats, called for the government to go back on its agreement to close Germany's 17 remaining reactors, to reduce its dependence on energy from other countries.
"One should be able to discuss this without it provoking a fight within the coalition," he said.
But Merkel's other coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party, which controlled the previous government, rejected the demand to reverse the anti-nuclear policy.
Thomas Steg, a spokesman for Merkel, said Wednesday that the nuclear issue had already been settled during coalition talks last year. The chancellor sees "no reason to take a stance on this again," Steg said. "Nothing has changed on this."
"Using the current debate over gas supply to Ukraine to push for a renaissance of nuclear power in Germany is highly irresponsible," said Heiko Maas, a leading Socialist politician from the state of Saarland. "What we need is a healthy mix of renewable energy and domestic energy sources."
Nuclear power is a sensitive issue in Germany, particularly since the Chernobyl accident in 1986.
Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder signed the shut-down agreement with power companies in 2001. His Social Democratic Party made keeping it a condition of their participation in Merkel's government coalition, after inconclusive parliamentary elections in September.
Where there does appear to be a consensus among German politicians and energy experts is on the need for the country to look beyond Russia for its energy needs. The resolution of the dispute between Russia and Ukraine Wednesday seemed unlikely to end the debate in Germany.
"Germany was under the illusion that the energy question could be solved with a market approach, through private companies," Frank Umbach, an energy expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations, which is based in Berlin, told Die Welt. "Germany lacks a foreign policy strategy in the energy area."
EDF's safety is questioned
Électricité de France, the world's largest operator of nuclear power stations, has put safety at risk to cut costs, according to the Confederation Générale du Travail, the utility's largest union, Bloomberg reported from Paris.
The union, which opposed the initial public offering in November of shares in the company, said EDF's safety record slipped as it prepared for the share sale.
EDF said there had not been any change in its commitment to safety or its safety record.
"There has been no increase in safety incidences," said François Molho, a spokesman for the utility in Paris. "There's no difference."
BERLIN Chancellor Angela Merkel reaffirmed her commitment Wednesday to phase out Germany's nuclear power plants amid a heated debate over German energy policies prompted by the natural gas crisis between Russia and Ukraine.
The showdown between those countries over the pricing and delivery of natural gas to Ukraine sharpened a debate within Merkel's government over whether the country should stick with measures passed by her predecessor to close all nuclear power plants by about 2020.
Germany receives roughly 30 percent of its natural gas from Russia, and supplies dwindled during the dispute, which ended Wednesday.
Conservatives, notably members of the Bavarian Christian Social Union, see the Russian gas dispute as an opportunity to reopen the nuclear debate. It was one of the most contentious issues in talks among the parties to form what is now the governing coalition.
"If we rely too much on oil or gas - for example, Russian gas - then we can run into massive problems," the party's general secretary, Markus Söder, told the German television station n-tv. "In the long term there is no alternative to nuclear power."
Top party members want the nuclear power issue on the agenda at a two-day cabinet meeting next week, when the parties aim to agree on measures to stimulate the economy. A government spokesman said Wednesday that nuclear power would be a central theme at an energy summit meeting Merkel is tentatively planning for March.
Edmund Stoiber, the head of the Christian Social Union, which is an ally of Merkel's Christian Democrats, called for the government to go back on its agreement to close Germany's 17 remaining reactors, to reduce its dependence on energy from other countries.
"One should be able to discuss this without it provoking a fight within the coalition," he said.
But Merkel's other coalition partners, the Social Democratic Party, which controlled the previous government, rejected the demand to reverse the anti-nuclear policy.
Thomas Steg, a spokesman for Merkel, said Wednesday that the nuclear issue had already been settled during coalition talks last year. The chancellor sees "no reason to take a stance on this again," Steg said. "Nothing has changed on this."
"Using the current debate over gas supply to Ukraine to push for a renaissance of nuclear power in Germany is highly irresponsible," said Heiko Maas, a leading Socialist politician from the state of Saarland. "What we need is a healthy mix of renewable energy and domestic energy sources."
Nuclear power is a sensitive issue in Germany, particularly since the Chernobyl accident in 1986.
Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder signed the shut-down agreement with power companies in 2001. His Social Democratic Party made keeping it a condition of their participation in Merkel's government coalition, after inconclusive parliamentary elections in September.
Where there does appear to be a consensus among German politicians and energy experts is on the need for the country to look beyond Russia for its energy needs. The resolution of the dispute between Russia and Ukraine Wednesday seemed unlikely to end the debate in Germany.
"Germany was under the illusion that the energy question could be solved with a market approach, through private companies," Frank Umbach, an energy expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations, which is based in Berlin, told Die Welt. "Germany lacks a foreign policy strategy in the energy area."
EDF's safety is questioned
Électricité de France, the world's largest operator of nuclear power stations, has put safety at risk to cut costs, according to the Confederation Générale du Travail, the utility's largest union, Bloomberg reported from Paris.
The union, which opposed the initial public offering in November of shares in the company, said EDF's safety record slipped as it prepared for the share sale.
EDF said there had not been any change in its commitment to safety or its safety record.
"There has been no increase in safety incidences," said François Molho, a spokesman for the utility in Paris. "There's no difference."
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