Germany to tax nuclear!

Well done to Chancellor Merkel and her Government for realising that nuclear needs taxing more!

Germany proposes new nuclear tax

Written by: Sian Crampsie | 11 June 2010

Germany's nuclear power plant operators will have to pay a new annual tax under an ambitious austerity package announced by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Eon, RWE, EnBW and Vattenfall will have to pay an estimated €2.3 billion per annum to the government for operating the country's 17 nuclear reactors. The tax is one of several measures announced by Merkel this week in an effort to keep a ceiling on the country's debts.

The nuclear tax is due to start in 2011 and will have no bearing on whether the government will allow nuclear power plant lifetimes to be extended. The country's nuclear plant operators want the government to reverse the decision made under the previous government to shutdown all of the country's nuclear plants.

According to newspaper Berliner Zeitung, the German government will unveil a final decision on nuclear plant extensions in July, and is likely to allow running times to be extended by 10 years at the most.

Merkel's package also includes a national ecological air traffic charge on all passengers and modifications to exceptions under the country's eco-tax. The measures will produce savings of €80 billion by 2014.