Sir, – In 2000 the government of Gerhard Schröder decreed that all Germany’s nuclear power plants would close by 2022.
In 2010 Angela Merkel revised the phase-out date to 2032. Following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, Dr Merkel closed eight nuclear power plants immediately and ruled that the remainder would close by 2022, instead of 2032.
The premature closure of these plants means the construction of nine coal-fired power stations (burning dirty brown coal, with an expected life of more than 50 years) and a dependence on imported gas.
Gerhard Schröder is currently chairman of Russian state-controlled oil producer Rosneft, while also serving as chairman of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, a project owned by Russian state-run gas company Gazprom.
Dr Merkel has not announced her plans for employment when she retires as chancellor. – Yours, etc,
Dr JOHN DOHERTY,
Vienna.