An interesting paper from a Norwegian researcher looking at the likely costs and emissions if Germany had either just kept it’s existing nuclear power plants or had continued to invest in nuclear rather than following it’s Left/Green driven nuclear exit. The uncertainties and assumptions are noted and it is well referenced.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/14786451.2024.2355642
The conclusions are that just keeping the existing nuclear plants would have saved quite a few billions of Euros and reduced the CO2 emissions more than the transition to renewables (Energiewende) while continuing to invest in nuclear would have saved some hundreds of billions and further reduced the emissions.
“Germany has one of the most ambitious energy transition policies dubbed
‘Die Energiewende’ to replace nuclear- and fossil power with renewables
such as wind-, solar- and biopower. The climate gas emissions are reduced
by 25% in the study period of 2002 through 2022. By triangulating
available information sources, the total nominal expenditures are
estimated at EUR 387 bn, and the associated subsidies are some EUR
310 bn giving a total nominal expenditures of EUR 696 bn.
Alternatively, Germany could have kept the existing nuclear power in
2002 and possibly invest in new nuclear capacity. The analysis of these
two alternatives shows that Germany could have reached its climate
gas emission target by achieving a 73% cut in emissions on top of the
achievements in 2022 and simultaneously cut the spending in half
compared to Energiewende. Thus, Germany should have adopted an
energy policy based on keeping and expanding nuclear power.”
This would also have reduced Germanies energy costs and the closure of German industries, VW being the latest high profile case.
Interestingly although the dominance of the AfD was the press headline regarding the recent elections in Saxony and Thuringia hidden at the bottom (literally) was the almost complete wipeout of the Green party.