Germany: Twilight for nuclear, a new dash for gas?

The outcome of the German parliamentary elections on September 27 - with the replacement of Helmut Kohl’s government with an SPD/Green coalition led by Gerhard Schröder - has potentially far-reaching consequences for the German energy sector. The new government comes to power with a manifesto commitment to “the fastest possible exit from nuclear energy production in Germany”. How nuclear’s role in meeting German energy demand could be replaced is a key question for the viability of the policy, as well as for the European energy industry in general. Stewart Gray Wood Mackenzie