• Plans of commission for examination of the financing of the nuclear phase out (KFK) nevertheless overburden energy companies’ economic capabilities

Today in Berlin, the KFK commission has announced its suggestions on financing the phase out of nuclear power generation in Germany. The suggestions include a huge risk premium and overburden the concerned energy companies’ economic capabilities. Thus, the energy companies cannot accept the suggestions as they are least of all due to their responsibilities towards their employees, their customers and their shareholders.

The concerned energy companies have been actively supporting the energy transition in Germany (“Energiewende”). Furthermore, they have built up the necessary provisions for the phase out of nuclear power generation. These provisions amount to more than 40 billion Euros and have been approved by the German Government and the KFK to be adequately and correctly represented in the companies’ balance sheets.

The companies operating nuclear power stations are strongly committed to their responsibilities with regards to the phase out of nuclear power generation. This is also shown by the provisions being very conservatively calculated also when compared internationally. All possible risks are being met by these provisions. Regardless of this, the temporary and final storage of nuclear waste in Germany is an operative task of the German Government who is politically responsible for this. The KFK suggests for the companies’ storage of nuclear waste provisions to be transferred to a state owned fund. The energy companies can well understand the general logic of such a responsibility distribution.

During the process, the energy companies have supported the KFK commission in a constructive manner also by providing maximum transparency on the economic capabilities of the companies as well as technical feasibility assessments of possible solutions that were being discussed. In talks with the KFK, the companies have been willing to accept a risk premium to enable a consensus. In order to achieve such an agreement, the companies have transparently presented their financials and offered to go as far as their utmost economic limits would permit.

However, these limits have been trespassed by the amount of a risk premium suggested by the KFK. 

Nevertheless, the energy companies are still interested in achieving a consensual solution regarding the organization and financing of the nuclear phase out in Germany. Thus, they are ready to bring in their suggestions into further discussions with the political sphere.