Germany sticks to nuclear power deadline but leaves loophole

By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — The German government says it’s sticking to its long-held plan of shutting down the country’s three remaining nuclear power plants this year. But it says it’s keeping the option of reactivating two of them in case of an energy shortage in the coming months. The announcement Monday follows the publication of a much-anticipated stress test that examined how Germany’s power grid will cope with a possible electricity squeeze. Germany is scrambling to ensure the lights stay on this winter despite the reduction in natural gas flows from Russia amid the war in Ukraine. The government has already announced measures to import gas from other sources and reactivate coal- and oil-fueled power plants, plus urging conservation.