At the end of the year, the three remaining German nuclear power plants are supposed to go offline – actually. Because of the Ukraine war and the resulting energy crisis, the traffic light government is discussing extending the lifespan of the reactors. In a survey for the news magazine “Der Spiegel”, 41 percent of those questioned even spoke out in favor of a new construction of nuclear power plants. 52 percent voted against.
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In addition to the question of the new building, a preference for the extension of the service life was also asked of 5000 people in the online survey. Accordingly, 78 percent voted for continued operation until summer 2023, while 67 percent can also imagine extending the term by five years. The biggest thing was the approval for an expansion of operations among supporters of the CDU/CSU, FDP and AfD.
In the ARD Deutschlandtrend published on Thursday, a majority of Germans also spoke out in favor of extending the lifespan of the remaining three nuclear power plants beyond the end of the year.
However, opinions differ as to how long this should be the case: 41 percent only want to see the operation stretched by a few months, and 41 percent are also in favor of long-term use of nuclear energy, according to the Infratest dimap survey published on Thursday. On the other hand, only 15 percent of the 1,300 voters surveyed want to stick to the nuclear phase-out by the end of the year, as stipulated by law.
In view of the fears of a lack of gas deliveries as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, there have been calls for months to extend the life of the last three miles. An extension of the operation in the current configuration by a few months is being considered.