Bloomberg reports:
France, which depends on nuclear reactors for about three-quarters of its power needs, won’t build new atomic plants just to compensate for closures in Germany, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said today.
“France’s goal is first of all to ensure its energy independence,” Fillon said during a visit to Electricite de France SA’s Bugey nuclear site in eastern France.
“France’s goal isn’t to build nuclear reactors for Germany. I’m not saying there won’t be energy exchanges between France and Germany but what must be made clear is that the solution to Germany’s energy future isn’t in the building of nuclear reactors in France,” the prime minister said.
What is a country to do? The article continues:
"Merkel’s decision forced Europe’s biggest economy to import more nuclear power from France, which was a net exporter to Germany for a fourth straight month in July, according to grid operator Reseau de Transport d’Electricite, a unit of EDF. "
I think you all know where this is going. Immediately after the ill advised shutdown (actually prevented start ups of plants down for refueling) Germany started importing nuclear energy from France. Of course Germany has been doing this for decades so it's nothing new, but it was never permanent. France also imports energy from Germany on occasion. But France is the biggest international exporter of generation in world today, based on their nuclear fleet.
So...German planners, grid operators, etc, are known to have been chatting up the electrical generation industry throughout Europe with "you know...we are going to phase out nuclear and despite assurances from the wind crowd, we are going to still need power when, you know, we need it.".
German chat-rooms around the industry are full of this stuff. Every European energy watcher is commenting on it. The bottom line is that renewables alone won't make it. That is, it can't insure a phase out of their nuclear industry.
What to do? What to do?