Why Some Decisions Were Made

The big German energy suppliers are doing poorly. But there is a story behind it.

First, they privatized healthy state-owned enterprises. In retrospect, the price you had to pay for them was bordering on the ridiculous. Then the powerful energy giants paid record dividends on the stock market. Later, the tide turned. The irrational energy market demanded its tribute. To be sure, the EEG (Renewable Energy Law) / EEG (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz) was based on the best of intentions, but it was poorly executed. The same was true for the first reduction of running times for nuclear power stations. Both did nothing to help the situation of energy enterprises.

The write-offs were not the only things that moved up dramatically. On the operative front, there were also suddenly more and more losses. To be sure, good lobbyism gained longer running times. But that was only a temporary improvement of the situation. Because then there was the Fukushima accident – which made everything a lot worse for the energy suppliers.

Now the big energy suppliers will sue the State. Mind you, this is not because the managers of these enterprises believe in nuclear energy. Instead, they think (probably correctly) that this is the only thing they can do. After all, it is their job to avoid damage to the enterprise. And if they do not go to court for something like the energy about-face, then they have to fear they will themselves be taken to court.

Consequently, the managing directors file suit, even though they know even better than we that nuclear energy is by far the most expensive and irrational way to generate electricity.

This is what we have come to. Managing directors have to file suit against the Federal Government and against their own convictions, just because otherwise they would have to stand trial. It is always about money, accountability and security.
At the same time, parliament decides that the barrels stored at Schachtanlage Asse have to be retrieved under all circumstances. Ethically, this is totally understandable. It is also absolutely justified in terms of worrying about the future. But then, after recovery, we will be just as much at a loss as before when it comes to the question: where to store it?

This pathetic voting, too, happened against better judgement of the engineers. They say that even the construction of machines necessary for such a project will take ten years. And they are sure that in the meantime quite a few things will happen at Asse. Also, the recovery will only be possible if you build a new mine into the old one.

All of which is going to cost gigantic sums.

ore than a couple of S21 and Brandenburg airports taken together. And regardless of it being unaffordable, they decide to do it with plenty of talk and with strong rhetoric. There is no information about how to finance this mega project. Another example for the typical lack of truthfulness in politics.

The original causers – incidentally, they have been forced into the nuclear business by the government with huge subsidies (of course, not totally unwilling) – can no longer pay the price, because they are bankrupt themselves. Quite apart from the fact that they already paid for the “disposal” – that is dumping the waste into the chute.

If we were serious about retrieving those barrels, we would have to announce some sort of financial State Emergency. And we would also have to think about where to deposit the retrieved waste.

At least now we have one example for a situation where there are truly no alternatives. It is hopeless, because there is no good solution. After all, you cannot leave the waste where it is, can you? Since, on the other hand, it is extremely hard to get it out, this might still be the most likely end. Regardless of all the nice words and strong slogans.

RMD
(Translated by EG)

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