The future of nuclear power

The market and competition, political boundary conditions, ecological boundary conditions, science and technology as well as international aspects are factors decisive in the future use of nuclear power. The agreement reached between the federal government and the power utilities in June 2000 represents a workable compromise - without winners or losers - in a situation in which action was urgently required. Once the agreement has been put into effect by legislators and the executive, operation of the nuclear power plants still on stream can be continued on a long term basis under safe boundary conditions. This requires an amendment to the Atomic Energy Act reflecting the sense of the agreement reached, the constructive inclusion of the federal states, and the immediate, legally assured execution of necessary transports of spent fuel and the construction of on-site stores for spent fuel. In the common interest, the question of final storage should not suffer from politically motivated delays. Factors favoring the further use of nuclear power continue to be mainly ecological and economic ones. The economic performance of plants is being documented very clearly, especially in the course of the deregulation of the electricity market, and the objective of finding a power supply system which protects the climate seems to be attainable only by nuclear power also in countries other than Germany. In the course of globalization, and in the light of thoughts about building new nuclear power plants also in European countries, it must also be in the public interest to preserve competence in nuclear technology, together with a capable infrastructure, in Germany. In addition, strengthening research and development is important in securing the future technical performance capability of Germany. (orig.)