News from Germany...

The German government has embarked on a charm offensive, seeking to  defend its decision to extend the lifespan of the country's nuclear  power plants by an average of 12 years.

"I think it's fair to say that our energy supply scheme will become  the world's most efficient and environmentally friendly," Chancellor  Angela Merkel said in Berlin, referring to her center-right coalition's  overall plan to support the introduction of renewable energies by using  more old-fashioned, established sources of power in the meantime.

"The agreement will maintain affordable energy prices both for  private consumers and businesses. Our aim is to further promote  renewables, and we see nuclear and coal-fired power plants as an  indispensible bridge towards this goal."

By 2050, Merkel said, 80 percent of Germany's electricity should be harvested from renewable sources.

"This is a revolution in the energy production sector, no more, no less," she said.

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Well, let's see... the previous plan foresaw shutting down the nuclear "bridge technology" about 15 years earlier. That she extended the nuclear reactors' lifespan is what currently is debated most, in the German news. But the new energy master plan for Germany is more ambitious... For those of you who enjoy a German read, here's the government plan in original: CLICK