Germany is planning to phase out nuclear energy completely this year. However, there are concerns about energy prices and network stability. This market resolves to YES if no nuclear power plants are running by Dec 31st, 2022, and if there are no concrete plans to start one again (e.g., if a reactor is scheduled to be kept working, but is incidentally down for maintenance on Dec 31st, this market will be resolved NO).
Sep 7, 6:41pm: Just for clarification - a reactor being "in reserve" does NOT count as "shut down" for the purpose of this market (unless someone makes a very convincing counterargument).
1,000
3.00Germany extends lifetime of plants until April 15th, 2023
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-extends-lifetime-of-all-3-remaining-nuclear-plants/a-63466196
BERLIN (AP) — Government says Germany will keep 2 of its 3 remaining nuclear power plants running until April 2023.
One nuclear plant operator in Germany thinks that the plan to keep these plants open is not technically feasible: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-dispute-over-nuclear-reserve-deepens/a-63047247 I think there's enough legal and technical uncertainty to justify a 10% chance that the plants all close before the end of 2022.
https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/stresstest-akw-habeck-101.html
Two of the three remaining German nuclear power plants are to be in reserve to supply electricity until next spring.
In order to keep the reactors in southern Germany in reserve, however, a change in the law is necessary, Habeck said.
The stress test [is done but not finalized](https://app.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/energieversorgungskrise-stresstest-laengere-laufzeiten-fuer-akw-wahrscheinlich-zwei-meiler-koennten-am-netz-bleiben/28650326.html) ([English translation](https://app-handelsblatt-com.translate.goog/politik/deutschland/energieversorgungskrise-stresstest-laengere-laufzeiten-fuer-akw-wahrscheinlich-zwei-meiler-koennten-am-netz-bleiben/28650326.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp). Unofficially it looks like two nuclear plants have a higher chance of staying open than before. Officially "there are no conclusions" yet.
I'm updating closer to 30%. I think there are still substantial hurdles legally, politically, and logistically for the plants to remain open.
@BTE https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.dw.com/en/germany-rules-out-delay-to-nuclear-phaseout/a-62880769
Am I missing a news update?
Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection says[1] that the Wall Street Journal's report is incorrect. Google Translate of the original:
“This report is incorrect and lacks any factual basis. I can also point out that the stress test to check the stability of the power grid is still ongoing.”
Opinion polls in Germany about nuclear power have changed in the last 6 months, but I don't see that anything else has changed. I'm updating closer to 40% chance of this market resolving Yes (previously I was nearer to 50%).
@mndrix France has 70% nuclear power so it's clear that a country can have a high proportion of nuclear power without running into problems from a lack of peaking capacity.
@MartinRandall Agreed. High rates of nuclear are fine. High rates of renewables are what requires peaking capacity. France has ~20% renewable and Germany has ~40%, so their needs are different.
@mndrix Sure. But Germany is currently burning coal as well as gas, so it can at least absorb enough nuclear to shut down its coal plants. I'm not sure how many power plants that comes to, but it's at least one.