‹ BackHN Continuity

Thread

ASML says it sold 'absolutely nothing' in Europe in 2026

402 points · 900 comments · MC995

  1. saddat · · focus · HN ↗
    But luckily Germany saved the world by shutting down their power plants for good
    1. ekjhgkejhgk · · focus · HN ↗
      Tinfoil hat, I know, but I'm convinced that Germany hating nuclear power was a Russian influence operation.
      1. uecker · · focus · HN ↗
        Considering that nuclear is expensive and in no scenario part of a minimal-cost power system, it was a rational decision. This is also the reason nuclear isn't build anywhere else without government intervention. This should be entirely obvious to anybody looking at the economics. As a physicist, I am not scared of nuclear, but I am also understand numbers... while the nuclear fans here apparently need to resort to conspiracy theories to make sense of the world.

        (Edit: Russian influence is German politics is welle stablished though, but in relation to the right-extremist AFD party)

        1. throwaway473825 · · focus · HN ↗
          The countries with the cheapest electricity in the EU all have nuclear:

          <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.energy-charts.info&#x2F;charts&#x2F;price_average_map&#x2F;chart.htm?l=en&amp;c=EU&amp;interval=year&amp;year=2025" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.energy-charts.info&#x2F;charts&#x2F;price_average_map&#x2F;char...

          Furthermore, old nuclear is already paid for, and hence often the cheapest option where available:

          <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.reuters.com&#x2F;graphics&#x2F;EUROPE-ENERGY&#x2F;NUCLEARPOWER&#x2F;gdvzwweqkpw&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.reuters.com&#x2F;graphics&#x2F;EUROPE-ENERGY&#x2F;NUCLEARPOWER&#x2F;...

          1. uecker · · focus · HN ↗
            Market price does not necessarily imply cheap to produce, especially in France where EDF was renationalized. And yes, old nuclear is very cheap, but this does not mean it makes sense to build more nuclear.
Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.