Merkel govt’s secret deals to benefit Germany’s nuclear lobby

the memo shows this will be a no-risk deal for the utilities, even if an anti-nuclear government comes to power and tries to roll back Merkel’s pro-nuclear policies….

the SPD would fight the “secret deal.”Government sources said the Merkel government also planned to change the law, making it almost impossible to sue a nuclear company to force it to upgrade its nuclear security standards.

Germany promises nuclear utilities financial protection Earth Times News, Berlin , 10 Sept 10, – Germany’s government disclosed Thursday it will indemnify utility companies if their nuclear reactors need expensive upgrades or if a future government prolongs taxation of the plants.

The assurances, which were given to the four companies at the start of this week in memo by Chancellor Angela Merkel, are expected to add to a controversy over the extension of Germany’s nuclear- reactor running times by an average 12 years.

The government made the memo public just a couple of hours after it was leaked.It showed that the bill for the utilities to upgrade each of their 17 plants would be capped at 500 million euros (640 million euros).In a bid to soothe public fears, the operators must make the reactors more secure against leaks and attack from the sky.

To meet criticism that the commercial operators will make a huge windfall from term extension, Germany is also imposing a fuel-rod tax between 2011 and 2016 and obliging the four companies, Eon, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall, to set up a renewable-energy fund…….
However, the memo shows this will be a no-risk deal for the utilities, even if an anti-nuclear government comes to power and tries to roll back Merkel’s pro-nuclear policies. Merkel says nuclear power generation is necessary as an “bridge” to an age of renewable power.If the plant upgrading proves too expensive, or the fuel-rod tax is increased or lasts beyond 2016, the utilities will be able to claw back the added expense from the renewable energy fund, the memo said…..
Just over half of Germans oppose nuclear power, polls show.Demonstrators opposing the government’s decision to extend the lifetimes of the nuclear power stations stacked 150 fake barrels of radioactive waste in front of parliament in Berlin on Thursday.The opposition Greens have angrily attacked the pro-nuclear swerve. Deputy Greens caucus leader Baerbel Hoehn called the memo a “dirty deal.”The opposition Social Democrats (SPD) said they would mount fierce resistance in parliament to the government’s bid to alter the scheduled nuclear moratorium. Sigmar Gabriel, party leader, said the SPD would fight the “secret deal.”Government sources said the Merkel government also planned to change the law, making it almost impossible to sue a nuclear company to force it to upgrade its nuclear security standards.

Germany promises nuclear utilities financial protection – Summary | Earth Times News