Frankfurt, July 26 (AFP/APP): A looming energy crisis has rekindled debate in Germany about the wisdom of shutting down the country’s last three nuclear power plants, with even members of the ruling coalition saying an extension is no longer taboo.
The German government on Monday said it would await the outcome of a new “stress test” of the national electric grid before determining whether to stick with the long-promised nuclear phaseout by year’s end.
The results are due in the coming weeks and could mark a pivotal moment for Europe’s biggest economy, where households and businesses are bracing for a difficult winter.
The war in Ukraine has sent energy costs soaring and Russia has been squeezing gas deliveries to Europe, thwarting German efforts to fill stores before the cold weather arrives and raising the prospect of emergency energy-saving measures.
It is a dramatically different picture from earlier this year, when an initial stress test in March found that Germany’s remaining nuclear power plants were not needed to ensure energy security.
After the first report, the government maintained the plants would go offline by December 31.
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