At Environmental Progress Mark Nelson points out that, despite Germany and France’s having produced nearly the same amount of electricity in 2016, Germany electricity was “dirtier”, i.e. resulted in producing ten times the carbon dioxide that French electricity did. Here’s the key passage:
German emissions would have declined had it not closed a nuclear plant and replaced it with coal and natural gas.
Not only did new solar and wind not make up for the lost nuclear, the amount of solar and wind electricity produced in 2016 actually decreased from 2015 despite new additions of solar capacity and extensive additions of wind capacity.
That’s supportive evidence both that people who are serious about reducing the amount of carbon dioxide being emitted should support nuclear power and that solar and wind still are not an adequate alternative to fossil fuel or nuclear generation.
They’re gonna need a bigger tax……..