MP says priority still on renewables in Germany if nuclear is extended

SolarServer reports that the energy spokesperson for the CSU (which is basically the CDU in Bavaria, except that Bavaria apparently has to have its own party) has stated that renewable energy will still have priority even if the service lives of current nuclear power plants are extended beyond 32 years ("Auch bei Laufzeitverlängerungen bleibt der Einspeisevorrang für regenerativen Strom erhalten").

Under the Schröder government, Germany chose to shut all of its nuclear plants down after 32 years of service (popularly called the "nuclear phase-out" or Atomausstieg). The current governing coalition plans to review all of these commissions and extend them indefinitely on a case-by-case basis under criteria that have yet to be specified.

"Priority" means that intermittent renewable energy (mainly solar and wind) must be purchased, even if central power plants have to be ramped down. Germany's popular Renewable Energy Act (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz or EEG) actually has a longer official name: the Act on Granting Priority to Renewable Energy Sources.