US firms explore reboot of Germany's nuclear plants
US companies have been assessing the feasibility and costs of restarting Germany's decommissioned nuclear power plants, Bild reported on Friday. The EU's largest economy has been struggling with soaring energy costs and a prolonged economic slowdown.
Germany shut down its last three reactors in April 2023, following a post-Fukushima parliamentary decision to phase out atomic energy. However, with the country's industrial output under pressure, calls to reverse the policy have been gaining momentum.
This week, politicians and nuclear energy advocates met in Berlin to discuss the feasibility of reactivating the country's mothballed plants. Among them was US nuclear engineer Mark Nelson, founder of Radiant Energy Group, who has been analyzing how quickly and affordably a nuclear restart could happen.
'There's no cheaper way to generate electricity anywhere in the world than with your fully paid-off nuclear plants,' Nelson told Bild. Backed by a consortium of investors, he believes that nine German reactors could be brought back online. Arguments that nuclear power is too expensive, he said, are based on flawed assumptions or are politically motivated.
Nelson also argued that renewable energy alone remains insufficient. In Q1 2025, renewables accounted for just 47% of Germany's electricity consumption.
Germany relied heavily on affordable Russian gas to power its industry before the Ukraine conflict, and ramped up electricity imports in 2023 after shutting down its last nuclear plants. With the EU aiming to end its reliance on Russian energy, Berlin now plans to spend €20 billion ($23 billion) on new gas-fired power stations to support moving away from coal and maintain supply stability.
Moscow has repeatedly said it remains a reliable supplier and is open to restarting gas exports to Europe. However, Chancellor Friedrich Merz reportedly opposes any resumption of Russian gas purchases.
Germany's energy crunch has taken a toll on its economy, now in its third straight year of recession. Nearly 200,000 companies shut down in 2024 – the highest figure since 2011, according to Creditreform. In April 2025, company insolvencies exceeded levels recorded during the 2008 financial crisis.
Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), told Bild he expects 'a major nuclear comeback.'
From an economic perspective, he said, Germany will need 'both storable renewables and nuclear energy.'
Merz, a longtime critic of Germany's nuclear phaseout, has reportedly shown support for investing in small modular reactors and nuclear fusion technologies.
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