German poll: Majority for return to nuclear energy (www.dw.com)

submitted 1 month ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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Summary

A new Innofact poll shows 55% of Germans support returning to nuclear power, a divisive issue influencing coalition talks between the CDU/CSU and SPD.

While 36% oppose the shift, support is strongest among men and in southern and eastern Germany.

About 22% favor restarting recently closed reactors; 32% support building new ones.

Despite nuclear support, 57% still back investment in renewables. The CDU/CSU is exploring feasibility, but the SPD and Greens remain firmly against reversing the nuclear phase-out, citing stability and past policy shifts.

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[-] friendlymessage@feddit.org 5 points 1 month ago

FFS, people are stupid.

There was a huge hysteria about nuclear when Fukushima happened. A clear majority was for immediate action. Merkel's coalition government would have ended if she hadn't done a 180 on nuclear and decided to shut down nuclear as soon as possible, which was 2023. I was against shutting it down back then but I thought you can't go against the whole population, so I get why they did it. People didn't change their mind until 2022. Nobody talked about reversing that decision in all these years when there was actually time to reverse the decision.

Now, that the last reactor is shut down, the same people that were up in arms in 2011 are now up in arms that we don't have nuclear. Building new plants will cost billions and take decades and nuclear doesn't work well with renewables because of its inflexibility. It makes no sense at all. It was a long-term decision we can't just back away from. What's done is done.

[-] tempest@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Nuclear works well with renewables. It provides reliable base load while the renewables and batteries can be used on top of that. Plus the fuel can be sourced from friendly nations like Canada.

Also worth noting that 15 years is a long time. SMRs are starting to be built and France is planning to build a bunch of nuclear capacity in the near future which might mean the possiblity to import cheap energy or leverage the human resources from those builds.

[-] Asetru@feddit.org 0 points 1 month ago

Nuclear works well with fucking nothing because it doesn't work... because it's just too fucking expensive, has to be shut down when it's too hot and is so dangerous you can't even find insurance. Base load can be provided by hydro, gas (which can be sourced sustainably) or batteries, all of which is cheaper, less dangerous and more easily available than nuclear.

[-] turnip@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Well its going to get more expensive relative as well as oil prices fall globally due to recession. But then we will hit another energy shortage and it will become cheaper, which is why France started building nuclear in the 1970s to begin with.

It seems to me nuclear takes you off the ebb and flow of global energy prices, I'd prefer spending on nuclear rather than carbon capture which seems to be the existing plan of many countries to combat climate change.

[-] Realitaetsverlust@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago

nuclear doesn’t work well with renewables because of its inflexibility

Uuuuh, why wouldn't it? Nuclear can provide a steady base load for the grid while the renewables are providing the rest, filling up storages for spike times if there is an excess. Don't really see how this is a big issue.

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[-] torrentialgrain@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

Due to an absolutely comical amount of disinformation on the topic. People are absolutely clueless about the potential costs in time and money.

[-] RejZoR@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 month ago

That was mostly when they were rushing to shut down nuclear plants. Getting them operational again will be insane cost opposed to them keep on running like before.

[-] torrentialgrain@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago

Even before nuclear power was the most expensive type in the energy mix iirc.

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[-] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 1 month ago

Building, running, maintaining and decommissioning fission plants is so unfathomably expensive on the taxpayer its not even believable. They are also super prone to war issues because they are so centralized. With a few attacks you can take out most of the energy supply of a country relying heavily on nuclear power. Good luck trying to take out all the island capable solar installations and every wind turbine.

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[-] Alaknar@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

Killing nuclear energy in Germany was the greatest success of FSB up to the point of planting an asset right in the middle of the Oval Office.

[-] ArchmageAzor@lemmy.world 0 points 1 month ago

There's no good reason to be against nuclear power. It's green, it's safe, it's incredibly efficient, the fuel is virtually infinite, and the waste can be processed in a million different ways to make it not dangerous.

[-] UnfortunateShort@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

It's more expensive than the alternatives, and comes with additional downsides. There is no good reason to be pro nuclear, unless you need a lot of power for a long time in a tight space. So a ship or a space station for example.

[-] vorb0te@lemmynsfw.com 0 points 1 month ago

55% is a small majority. But nothing to turn a train around. Things are set in motion.

[-] merdaverse@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

55% is a small majority

Laughs in Brexit

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this post was submitted on 04 Apr 2025

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