Germany's energy minister calls nuclear phase-out a huge strategic mistake

Germany's energy minister branded the country's nuclear phase-out a "massive mistake", speaking at the CERAWeek international energy conference in Houston, Texas. The decision cost Germany 20 GW of CO2-free electricity production at affordable prices, she said. Prices of petrol, diesel and jet fuels are spiking in Germany, she noted, though no volume shortages have yet been observed. If the geopolitical conflict continues, supply tensions could emerge "probably in April or May", she warned. A prolonged crisis would, she said, put increasing pressure on "the fragile recovery of Germany's economy".

A call to rebalance energy priorities

Reiche acknowledged that previous governments had opted to phase out coal in order to meet climate targets, but argued that the nuclear phase-out was, by contrast, "a huge mistake — and we miss this energy". The minister called for a change of course: "It doesn't mean that we give up all sustainability aims... but it's a balance — affordability, abundant energy and energy security have to come in the centre." Germany had concentrated too heavily on climate protection at the expense of affordability — "a mistake that we are going to correct", she said. She also stressed the need to maintain a competitive industrial base, which requires competitive energy prices.

The minister warned against the vulnerability of global energy supply chains. "The current situation shows how quickly geopolitical conflicts become real economic risks. Dependence on geographically concentrated energy flows is a structural risk", she said. Her response centers on greater diversification, resilience, and an energy policy balancing supply security, affordability and sustainability. She argued that the European Union (EU) must acknowledge that the European Green Deal and the "green premium" have failed to keep the bloc competitive with the rest of the world.

A phase-out completed in April 2023

Until March 2011, Germany obtained one-quarter of its electricity from nuclear energy. In August 2011, the 13th amendment of Germany's Nuclear Power Act came into effect, underlining the political will to phase out fission nuclear power. Eight units were closed down immediately: Biblis A and B, Brunsbüttel, Isar 1, Krümmel, Neckarwestheim 1, Phillipsburg 1 and Unterweser. Against a backdrop of global nuclear reassessment, the global nuclear industry awaits decisive milestones in 2026, from Rooppur to Onkalo, highlighting the growing divergence between Germany's trajectory and that of other states.

The Brokdorf, Grohnde and Gundremmingen C plants were permanently shut down at the end of December 2021. The country's final three units — Emsland, Isar 2 and Neckarwestheim 2 — shut down in April 2023. All sites are now at various stages of decommissioning.

A growing European political consensus

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also described the decision to move away from nuclear power as a mistake. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the previous month that it was "a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emissions power". The European Court of Auditors has also criticized the EU's lack of an international nuclear strategy, highlighting persistent institutional gaps in this area.

Leaders of member states — including Germany, France and Italy — have been pushing hard for regulatory reforms to restore competitiveness. Reiche said the European Commission "starts to understand", but that the correction process is "very, very slow". "Every day we don't act we lose competitiveness because other regions in the world are faster, quicker", she said.