Germany’s Nuclear Shutdown a ‘Historic Mistake,’ International Energy Agency Head Says

Fatih Birol said Germany’s abandonment of nuclear power has weakened its energy security and competitiveness, and called for a ’sober second look.’

Steam gushes out of the cooling tower of the Isar 2 nuclear power plant in Essenbach, Germany, on Sept. 13, 2022. One of the last operating nuclear reactors, was shut down on April 15, 2023. Jan Woitas/dpa via AP

The executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has called Germany’s nuclear phase-out a “historic mistake.”

In an interview with German newspaper WELT on Feb. 4, Fatih Birol was asked why Germany has “chosen an energy path that no other major economy is following.”