[en] Three years after the nuclear disaster at Fukushima, Japan, countries around the world are beginning to look at extending the lifetime of existing power plants and building new reactors again. Advocates of nuclear power argue that it provides an affordable energy source, helps to secure energy supply, and makes a contribution to combating climate change. The European Commission's Reference scenario -which sets the agenda for the EU climate and energy strategy for 2030- assumes a massive expansion of nuclear power, including no less than seven new reactors in Poland alone. In Germany, too, there is a growing number of voices criticizing the imminent nuclear phase-out. In the view of DIW there is, however, no such thing as a ''nuclear renaissance'': current new-built projects concentrate on a small number of countries, primarily on China. Notably, the discussion ignores the fact that nuclear power has never been produced economically, when taking into account the risks to humans and the environment and the cost of dismantling nuclear power plants, final disposal of nuclear waste and of research and development(R and D). The question of where and how to store high-level radioactive waste is yet to be resolved. Consequently, phasing out nuclear energy appears to be the safest and most cost-efficient strategy. The European discussion should not be based on model calculations which neglect a large proportion of the costs. Germany can continue undeterred with its nuclear phase-out without endangering supply security; this also applies to the planned decommissioning of the Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant in 2015. Questions concerning the dismantling of nuclear power plants and final disposal of radioactive waste have been avoided for too long and urgently need to be addressed now in parallel to the phase-out.