Opinion | What Germans Know About Nuclear Power

Germany’s energy policies are among the biggest threats facing Europe’s economy, and if there’s a silver lining it is that German voters are beginning to realize it. Recent polling suggests a consensus is solidifying in favor of nuclear energy in what has been a nuclear-skeptic country. If only the politicians in Berlin would catch up.

The main controversy now concerns whether to extend the lives of the country’s three remaining nuclear reactors, which provide about 6% of its electricity but are scheduled to shut down at the end of the year. Some 78% of respondents support running those power plants at least until summer 2023, according to a survey published on the weekend by Spiegel magazine, and 67% would support running the reactors for another five years.