We don't need nuclear power to meet climate goals and keep the lights on
It would be a folly to think that there is no hope of tackling climate change without nuclear power

Making the case for new nuclear this week, George Monbiot admitted that, what with the proposed nuclear waste dump in Cumbria being rejected and Centrica pulling out of new nuclear in the UK, the facts are not exactly working in his favour. But his argument raised two crucial questions.

First, what is actually happening as a result of Germany's nuclear phase-out? Is Angela Merkel now barrelling down a catastrophic, high-carbon coal path, or is the reality more complex?

It's true that there has been a spike in coal burning, but this is largely because the EU carbon price has collapsed and gas prices have risen – meaning that burning coal and lignite is cheaper than burning gas. Right now, Germany's renewable energy boom is displacing gas, rather than coal.

Moreover, since the country's decision to phase out nuclear, no new coal plants have been proposed and some have even been cancelled. So it is a massive oversimplification to state that Germany's decision to go nuclear free means more reliance on coal – either now or in the future.

The German government has made clear that it remains committed to its carbon reduction and renewable energy targets ....
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2013/feb/08/nuclear-power-climate-change