Act on the Progressive Phase-out of Nuclear Energy from 2015 to 2025

The Act provides for the gradual phase-out of nuclear energy for commercial electricity production. It prohibits the con-struction of new nuclear power plants and sets a 40-year limit on the operational pe-riod of existing plants (most of which were constructed in 1974 or 1985 and would need to be decommissioned over the 2015-2025 period anyway). The 2013 amendment postpones the nuclear phase out and shutdown of the last nuclear reactor to 2025. The first reactor to be shut down will be Doel 1 in February 2015. The operators of the reactors to be shut down in 2025 are to pay an annual charge in exchange for the operation extension. The revenues from this mechanism are to be used as part of financing for the federal green certificate scheme. The progressive phase-out of nuclear starting in 2015 is to be accompanied by energy market restructuring measures, including reduction of energy consumption by the largest (industrial) energy consumers.