Would I prefer if we would have kept the nuclear plants running for longer? Yes! Is that the reality? No.

So instead of crying after an energy source of the last century (nuclear) I'm all for now building a 100% emission-free, decentralized and flexible grid. I am convinced this is the future and the journey to get there has already begun.

You have three choices: 1) Deindustrialisation 2) Renewables with gas & coal and a high carbon footprint 3) Renewables and nuclear

Decentralization, flexible grid, local storage are as viable and realistic as “cold fusion” for Germany as of today. You underestimate the tremendous need for electricity the industry has.

So, realistically: either you chose global warming or nuclear power.

As the foreposter said, stop crying for what is in the past now. Even if we wanted to restart old, or even crazier, build new plants: that window has passed and it wouldn't help much for a long time.. despite all the issues, the whole world could.not even sustain 50% nuclear.. so some countries just need to do it. You overprovision renewables and storage, and fossil backups usage needs will not completely go away, but diminish much quicker than thought.. it is just a scaling issue right now and a goal, at least.

This hand-wavy thinking can and will cause shifts in wealth, prosperity and future of Germany and Europe. Ignoring it or feeling good about it won’t change reality very much like the central banks “laissez faire print money” led to (unavoidable yet very predictable) inflation putting individuals, families, companies and countries in a pretty delicate situation.

Ideology doesn’t replace reality.

The reality of new built nuclear costing 15 cents/kWh making whole swaths of already existing industries uneconomical? Why would anyone want that?

https://www.lazard.com/research-insights/levelized-cost-of-e...

Not sure I understand what you are getting at. Electricity prices in Germany are 45+ cents/kWh.

I would suggest reading up on the difference between the household and wholesale electricity market. German households pay among the most expensive electricity in the EU while the commercial wholesale market is at the lower end.

The difference comes from taxes and fees.

Germany briefly hit 45 cents/kWh last year due to the war. We are getting back to normal and in March the average price was 10 cents/kWh.

In other words, even during the tail ends of winter and war induced supply crunches the average price was too low to support nuclear.

New built nuclear is having energy crisis prices all year around.