Swedish minister open to new measures to tackle energy crisis, blames German nuclear phase-out

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Swedish minister open to new measures to tackle energy crisis, blames German nuclear phase-out

Sweden is ready to introduce new measures to tackle the country's soaring energy prices, Energy Minister Ebba Busch announced on Thursday (12 December), blaming Germany's nuclear phase-out for the crisis in the country and at EU level.

Faced with growing regional differences in electricity prices and a price spike in the south of the country, the Swedish government is considering new measures to help households and businesses cope with the rising pressure.

“The government is open to supporting households and businesses if needed,” the prime minister said as citizens brace for rising energy bills during the winter months.

Busch's comments come a day after Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (Moderates, EPP) angered the opposition with his words: "There will be hard times ahead".

“I realise that nobody is happy when I say that ‘if we hadn't shut down half of nuclear power, we wouldn't have these problems’. But it's true and it needs to be said.”, Kristersson said, referring to the previous Social Democrat-Greens coalition closing several nuclear reactors between 2019 and 2020 as part of a policy shift towards greater reliance on renewable energy sources.

Recent weeks have seen growing public frustration in Sweden, with price disparities hitting shocking levels.

In an article published in Aftonbladet, expert Andreas Cervenka said that on Wednesday (11 December), electricity prices in southern Sweden were 18,000% higher than in central Sweden. A 10-minute shower in Southern Malmö cost over SEK 31 (€2.65), compared to SEK 0.17 (€0.01) in central Sweden Sundsvall.

German nuclear phase-out detrimental

One main reason Busch cited for the surge in electricity prices is Germany's decision to dismantle its nuclear power plants, saying it also has detrimental effects for Europe.

"I'm furious with the Germans," Busch told Swedish broadcaster SVT...

It should be said that Sweden started down the path of drinking the German fossil fueled Putin funding antinuke Koolaid. Two Swedish reactors at Ringhalls were unnecessarily shut because so called "renewable energy" was supposed to take their place. Sweden has reversed its antinuke policies and now plans additional nuclear power. It consistently provides some of the lowest carbon intensities in Europe, with Southern Sweden heavily reliant on nuclear power, Central and Northern Sweden on hydroelectricity.

Sweden's nuclear policies are discussed here: Nuclear Power in Sweden

Sweden has announced a policy of phasing out fossil fuels "by 2040," which, of course, is half a century too late. It has acknowledged that doing so will require new nuclear infrastructure.

It is notable that the introduction of nuclear power to Sweden was led by the discoverer of nuclear fission, Lise Meitner, who was unjustly denied the Nobel Prize for her discovery. It was instead given instead to the German Otto Hahn, who did nothing to protect her from the Nazis despite working with her for more than three decades, in a scientific sense, as her assistant, instead of the other way around. (She barely escaped Germany with her life.) This one of the great misadventures, one of the greatest injustices, in the history of science. As a compensation, element 109 has been named in her honor, albeit after her death.

I discussed this bit of history over at Daily Kos quite some time ago, before I was banned there for telling the truth: The Deformed Nucleus, Neptunium and the Rain