The Nuclear Alliance group, comprising France, Bulgaria and others, is demanding that the European Commission consider nuclear power as a viable equivalent to renewable energies. This includes examining financing options for fossil-free energy projects. At the same time, another group of 11 nations, led by Germany and called Friends of Renewables, is calling for an acceleration in renewable energies.
The Alliance stresses the importance of European funding for nuclear technologies, including low-carbon hydrogen production. They emphasize the crucial role of nuclear power in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Friends of Renewables, meanwhile, focus on strengthening electricity interconnections and creating energy markets that integrate renewable hydrogen.
With the renewal of the EU executive after the European elections, the Commission’s response to the demands of these two groups will have a profound influence on Europe’s energy trajectory. French Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher expressed her satisfaction with the Nuclear Alliance’s position.
The division between the Nuclear Alliance and the Friends of Renewables highlights the EU’s complex challenge of reconciling different energy perspectives in its quest for carbon neutrality.
