Ottmar Edenhofer, the chief economist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, dismissed the initiative by CDU faction leader Jens Spahn calling for the recommissioning of recently shut-down nuclear power plants as economically nonsensical. While stating he is not ideologically opposed to nuclear energy, Edenhofer questioned who would be responsible for reactivating old reactors or building new ones. He argued that given the high costs, pursuing such a plan would be economically unviable, noting that there were no sufficient macroeconomic justifications for it.
Edenhofer supported the German Economy Minister, Katherina Reiche (CDU), in proposing the construction of new gas-fired power plants, stating that doing so is the right approach when combined with the continued expansion of renewable energy sources. Regarding solar power, he noted that large-scale solar arrays are more helpful than private rooftop installations. While private citizens protecting the climate through rooftop setups can be useful, the current regulatory structure, according to him, creates massive disincentives. Edenhofer explained that private operators typically feed power into the grid when it is already abundant, but draw power from the grid when it is scarce.
Furthermore, he criticized the current system of fixed, subsidized feed-in rates for renewable generation, stating that offering a uniform, subsidized rate for all times of day and night is not a sign of wise climate policy. To create genuine incentives-such as encouraging people to properly utilize home batteries-the solar electricity remuneration system must be aligned with market prices.