Powering Off: The Delayed Death of German Nuclear Energy during the Russian-Ukraine War

The German Government decided to delay the closure of its last three nuclear reactors at the end of 2022 during the Russian-Ukraine War, but they still chose to follow through with that closure in 2023. This paper analyzes the political factors, through political history, press releases, and statistical data, that led the German Federal Government and its Green Party to decide to shut down these last three plants. With media accounts and polling data, this paper discusses the German public's positive and negative reactions to this decision. Thereafter, an economic, environmental, and political analysis is conducted to determine whether the closure of these last three nuclear plants was the correct decision for Germany. Ultimately, this paper concludes that the German Green Party's refusal to compromise on its foundational goal of ending nuclear energy led to a decline in its popularity as a result of changing preferences among the German public.