5 things to know about Germany shutting down its last nuclear plants

The country's stance on nuclear energy vastly differs from other nations'

Image by Markus Distelrath from Pixabay (with added cat face logo)

Germany pulled the plug on nuclear power generation this weekend.

Here are five key points:

• The country shut down its last three nuclear power plants (Emsland, Neckarwestheim II and Isar II), marking an important step in the country's long-planned shift to renewable energy.

• Decades of anti-nuclear rallies (more on that later) and tragedies such as Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima have put pressure on the German government, prompting demands for a shift away from nuclear power.

• While supporters of nuclear energy maintain that it emits significantly fewer greenhouse gases than fossil fuels and is safe if properly controlled, German officials contend that it is not required and that “inexpensive renewables” can replace the 5% share of electricity generated by nuclear power in recent times. It’s important to note that Germany is still running coal power plants. They were supposed to shut down by the end of 2022 but Russia cutting natural gas deliveries to Western Europe amid the war in Ukraine has complicated things.

• This decision differs from other developed nations, like the United States, Japan, China, France, and the United Kingdom, which are relying on nuclear energy to replace fossil fuels.

• Ongoing efforts to dismantle nuclear plants in the country is proving to be a major a logistical challenge (with some resistance from local governments).