Rethinking Germany’s energy transition: a role for nuclear power to meet climate targets and keep economic competitiveness

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:For scholars of energy transition policy, this paper offers a focused argument on nuclear's role alongside renewables and hydrogen.

🏢実務担当者:Energy companies can use the policy recommendations to assess opportunities in SMR deployment and diversification strategies.

🏛政策担当者:Policymakers considering nuclear as a climate solution should note the German debate as a cautionary and comparative case.

Germany's nuclear phase-out is being increasingly questioned due to rising electricity demand, geopolitical insecurity, and industrial competitiveness concerns. In no small part, the rethinking comes from a growing recognition that, although renewable energy remains central to climate neutrality, Germany's renewable-heavy energy transition is insufficient to meet climate targets. In addition to the role of hydrogen-ready gas power plants and renewables, this paper argues that Germany ought to consider the role that new generations of nuclear energy, particularly Small Modular Reactors (SMR), can play in phasing-out coal and meeting future electricity demand. As global interest in new generations of nuclear reactors is rising, Germany's economic, climate and energy policy would benefit from engaging in this momentum and taking advantage of its public's recently easing attitudes towards nuclear energy. The paper concludes with ten policy recommendations that position nuclear energy as a complement to renewables and low-carbon gases, especially in a geopolitical context where diversification is more critical than ever.

• semanticscholar https://doi.org/10.3389/fnuen.2026.1837826first seen 2026-05-20 05:37:32