Germany has been attempting to go green on energy. The plan was to phase out atomic reactors for electric power by 2021. The problem is renewable sources like wind and solar just can’t be developed fast enough to fill the gap. If world renowned German engineering can’t solve this dilemma within the expected time frame we need to take a hard look at their experience before committing ourselves to the same policy.

Currently, the phase-out law -- passed by former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's government pairing his center-left Social Democrats (SPD) with the Green Party -- calls for reactors in Germany to be shut down after a life span of 32 years, meaning the final reactor would go off the grid in 2021. The current governing coalition, which pairs Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats with the SPD, agreed in its coalition contract not to revisit the law. Now, though, the Economics Ministry paper is calling for extending reactor life spans to "at least 40 years."

News of the paper immediately resulted in yet another clash within the cabinet in Berlin. Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) went after Economics Minister Michael Glos -- a member of the conservative Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's CDU -- saying "this isn't just a clear violation of the coalition agreement, but it also shows that Glos' ministry is little more than an atomic energy lobby."

The Economics Ministry immediately fired back with a statement on its homepage. "Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel should cease lashing out at all those who scrutinize the future of the power supply and energy security," the statement, written by ministry deputy Peter Hintze, reads. "It is vital that an industrialized country with 82 million inhabitants not march blindly into the power supply abyss."

When Germany passed the phase-out law eight years ago, the plan was for renewable energies to develop to the point that they could take up the slack from atomic power. Great strides have been made, but it is likely that Germany will have to increase its reliance on coal-fired power plants in lieu of nuclear energy, thus emitting more CO2 into the atmosphere.

Many conservatives in Germany have begun promoting nuclear as a "clean energy," despite ongoing concerns about storing highly radioactive nuclear waste.
German Ministry Pleads for Nuclear: Atomic Power Causes Cabinet Meltdown - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News