Energy industry and energy policy in the Federal Republic of Germany now facing new challenges

After the Chernobyl reactor accident, discussions about the latest deep plunge of oil prices and the consequences for the economic and energy market situation have promptly been pushed to the background, and now it is the well-known controversy about the pros and cons of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy that flares up again. The author of the paper in hand is well aware that the very complex problems posed by the task to weigh the risks of energy supply with or without nuclear energy generation can by far not be solved within this framework, so that the paper picks out only a few aspects of a decision to abandon nuclear power, and some consequences to be considered. As an introduction to the problem, the author presents a survey of the current energy situation and current energy policy, and of the related perspectives. (orig./UA)