Chancellor Angela Merkel wants more energy reforms in Germany, and nuclear power may be in for an even greater setback despite protests from major industry players.
In 2000 under the leadership of Gerhard Schroeder, Germany agreed to phase out its 19 nuclear power plants by 2020. Opposition leaders claim this could increase Germany’s energy imports delving into countries with bad nuclear safety records or increasing overall carbon dioxide emissions if forced to resort to increase electricity output via conventional power plants.
Now the government has proposed a tax on nuclear energy production with the EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger saying that German energy companies should hand over at least half of their profits if nuclear power stations are extended. "I consider that at least 50% would be appropriate," he said. German energy companies lashed out writing a letter printed in daily newspaper Suedduetsche Zeitung as a full page ad that said, "A policy that consists of filling the budget by creating new energy taxes amounts to blocking important future investments."
"A precipitate exit from nuclear power would destroy billions of euros in capital," the letter said. "We cannot give up for the time being on coal or nuclear energy if we want energy prices to remain affordable for all."
Top companies like E.ON, RWE, Vattenfall, BASF, Bayer, and ThyssenKrupp signed the letter as well as retail group Metro, media company Bertelsmann, and German financier Deutsche Bank.
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