Just a day after Germany began shutting down its last three nuclear reactors, the state of Bavaria wants to reopen one under state control.
Bavaria Governor Markus Söder has been a vocal critic of Germany’s choice to shut down its nuclear reactors, saying the decision will negatively impact energy prices and businesses.
According to DW.com, Söder has proposed the Bavarian state take control of the Isar 2 nuclear power plant and reopen it. The decision is not without its challenges, and will require an amendment to the Atomic Energy Act. The amendment would be necessary to allow a state authority to assume control of something that is normally in the hands of the federal government.
“Bavaria is, therefore, demanding that the federal government give states the responsibility for the continued operation of nuclear power. Until the [energy] crisis ends and while the transition to renewables has not succeeded, we must use every form of energy until the end of the decade. Bavaria is ready to face up to this responsibility,” the chair of the center-right Christian Social Union (CSU) told the newspaper.
“We are a pioneer in nuclear fusion research and are examining the construction of our own research reactor, in cooperation with other countries,” Söder added. “It can’t be that a country of engineers like Germany gives up any claim to shaping the future and international competitiveness.”
