The following conclusion is drawn in a publication that has been taken up by a German media: If the policy framework for nuclear power plants (NPPs) had been positive in Germany in 2002 and nuclear power had not been phased out, the country would be better off in terms of both spending and greenhouse gas emission reductions in the electricity sector than it is with the current energy transition. Overall, an alternative policy to keep existing NPPs in 2002 and build new ones would have halved spending and ensured Germany could meet its climate targets. This statement is based on a technology comparison of the expenditures for renewable energies on the one hand with a hypothetical scenario of not phasing out nuclear power and expanding NPPs in Germany on the other. The authors of this response are of the opinion that the underlying calculation is based on a fundamental methodological error, which leads to double counting most of the expenditure on renewable energies. The analysis conducted is therefore not scientifically tenable.
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