Chancellor Angela Merkel vowed Thursday that Germany would accelerate the transition to renewable energy and called for a “measured exit” from nuclear power.
On March 15, Merkel ordered Germany’s seven oldest nuclear plants closed for three months while the government carries out safety probes.
If the stay becomes permanent, lights will not go dark in Germany thanks in part to the country’s steady growth in solar power. An achievement notable in a country that stays cloudy much of the year.
Last year, renewable power accounted for 17 percent of German electrical output (with nuclear providing about 23 percent). More solar panels cover rooftops in Germany than the US and Japan combined.
A renewable energy lobby group in Europe said that renewables could be ready to provide 47 percent of German power by 2020, replacing current nuclear production.
(READ more in Reuters)
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