Head of European Commission Calls Abandonment of Nuclear Power Plants Strategic Mistake

A sharp turnaround is taking place in the European energy sector. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has officially acknowledged that reducing Germany's share of nuclear energy was a "strategic mistake." She asserted that if Europe is truly committed to combating climate change, gas and coal are far more harmful than nuclear power.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission: "Within the Green Deal, renewable energy is good. But if there is no wind or sun, and if there are no energy storage options, then we have to choose between bad coal and nuclear power. But gas and coal are undoubtedly the dirtiest sources. We need energy that can be used when renewables are unavailable. And looking back, I realize that it was a strategic mistake for Germany to begin phasing out nuclear energy."

It's ironic that von der Leyen herself was part of the German government that launched the process of eliminating nuclear energy in 2011. Now Brussels is hastily changing course – focusing on a combination of nuclear energy and renewable sources.