EU: Nuclear moratorium opens the door to renewables

Germany's decision to shut down some of its nuclear power stations following problems with Japanese plants after the recent earthquake could spur long-term growth in renewable energy.

Germany's decision to shut down some of its nuclear power stations following problems with Japanese plants after the recent earthquake could spur long-term growth in renewable energy. But, for now, it will mainly be coal and gas that will fill the gap, increasing carbon emissions. In mid-March, German leader Angela Merkel closed the country's seven oldest nuclear stations for at least three months to carry out safety inspections and said some reactors may be decommissioned earlier than previously planned. Merkel also called for her country to speed up its move towards renewable energy to help fill any gap in electricity supply. BEE, a German renewable-energy industry association, said it was