Germany and Greece: Rethinking Nuclear Power

The dichotomy of Fossil Fuels v Nuclear Power is not only false but misleading. Energy companies speak of a “green” future applauding all the powers – hydro, wind and solar.

Yet, they’ve been pledging to transition in 20, 30, 40, 50….years since the 1970s. All the while focus and investment has been on both Fossil Fuels AND Nuclear Power.

Germany is rethinking nuclear power plants. Reported in the BBC, Dr Fritz Vahrenholt, Repower’s chairman stated, “My proposal is to postpone the phasing out of nuclear power plants for five or eight years – which gives us the opportunity to develop really competitive renewable energy.”

End of World War II was not only the beginning of space travel but of a new GRID. A power source to generate a new energy needed to be built, and built fast.

Greece set back by the 2008 financial crisis may have been the catalyst for its interest in nuclear power. The Energy Committee of the Academy of Athens noted their findings and conclusions on “Nuclear Energy and Energy Needs of Greece.”  

“Να αρχίσει η προετοιμασία των αναγκαίων μελετών, νομοθεσιών και υποδομών, ώστε η χώρα να είναι, ‘εν δυνάμει’, έτοιμη για την όποια επιλογή.” 

Basically, provisions will be made in education, legislation and infrastructure, in preparation for whichever decision is made.

Taking a pragmatic approach in preparation, Greece appears to have conducted due diligence by weighing their electricity needs against costs to the environment. In so doing it also evaluated the pros and cons of nuclear power plants as compared to fossil fuels power plants.

Anticipating an energy shortage by 2020, especially in the use of renewable energy, Greece set itself out to educate its population with the goal of providing the necessary manpower in a foreseeable future.  

Germany’s Bavarian Castles and Greece’s Mount Olympus have stood for centuries inspiring storytellers. Will their magnificence be outshined by fossil fuel and nuclear power plants?