Germany to lead in green energy with nuclear shutdown: Merkel decided to close all 17 nuclear power plants in the country by 2022

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that Germany could set an example in achieving a transition to efficient and renewable energies, soon after her government decided to close all 17 nuclear power plants in the country by 2022.

"We believe that we, as a country, could be a pioneer for a new age of renewable energy sources," Merkel said at a press conference hours right after her coalition government drew up a nuclear phase-out timetable.

According to the ambitious strategy, Germany's seven oldest reactors, which are taken off the grid following Japan's Fukushima disaster, won't be wakened up any time. The Kruemmel plant, which has been offline for years as a result of technical problems, will also be abandoned forever.

Nonetheless, one of these old plants will probably be kept on "standby" from 2013, in case of possible electricity shortages. Yet another six plants will likely be closed by the end of 2021 along with the 3 newest will remain operational until 2022.

The program, which needs parliament approval, labeled Germany as the first significant industrialized nation set to entirely abandon the atomic energy.

Germany could show to the world how a developed economy can attain "such a transformation toward efficient and renewable energies, with all the opportunities that it has, for exports, development, new technologies and jobs," Merkel stated.

"We will need to have a new architecture for our energy production," she added, acknowledging that Germany has to explore new sources for the vacancy left by the outgoing nuclear power, which currently accounts for 22 percent of the country's electricity production.

On Monday, the Federation of German Industry (BDI) expressed its worries, saying that the shutdown would force Germany to develop more coal and gas power plants to stabilize the energy supply and price. As a result, it would lead to more greenhouse gas emissions.

"We do not only hope to give up nuclear energy by 2022, but also to minimize our CO2 emissions by 40 percent and double our share of renewable energies, from about 17 percent right now to then 35 percent, " Merkel stated.

Monday's choice was also seen as a return to the policy made by a previous Social Democrat-Green coalition government a decade ago. Last year, Merkel's coalition managed to extend the lifespan of nuclear power plants to around 2035, which was opposed by the majority of Germans and sparked rounds of protests afterwards.

Germany's anti-nuclear moods intensified soon after Japan's nuclear crisis starting in March. Merkel and her Christian Democrats had to alter their pro-nuclear stance right after suffering painful defeats in a number of nearby elections, including the one in Baden- Wuerttemberg, traditionally a stronghold for the conservatives.

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