'Emotional, Erratic, Anti-Arithmetic and Deeply Consequential': The Energiewende as Seen from the Czech Republic

The entanglement of the Czech and German energy policies dates back to 1990s when the Czech Republic’s plans to complete the Temelín NPP clashed with strong anti-nuclear ethos that guided the policies of the neighboring Germany and Austria. As the issue eventually became a part of accession negotiations between the Czech Republic and the EU, the German position became widely known and discussed among the Czech policymakers as well as in the media. Needless to say, the country’s traditionally pro-nuclear and technocratic decision-making sphere did not appreciate what they perceived as “German policymakers giving in to the emotions of people who do not understand energy systems”. When Angela Merkel announced the nuclear phase-out, the news echoed the 1990s Temelín experience. Once again, it seemed to be the public opinion what set the course for Germany’s energy policy. A deeply troubling idea indeed for technicians and neo-classical economists who made up for a vast majority of the decision-makers. The initial reaction was a mixture of ridicule, pity and malicious joy, especially among people who bet on Energiewende’s failure and consequent need for vast energy imports. These would be, naturally, provided by the Czech nuclear reactors which were envisioned to grow in numbers by at least two by 2030. However, as soon as the large-scale deployment of renewable energy started to manifest itself in the form of unscheduled electricity flows and contributed to the collapse of electricity price in 2014, the Czech representatives slowly realized that the changes introduced by the Energiewende would be much deeper than originally expected. Ironically, the price decrease, the outlook of highly volatile prices and the uncertainty regarding the future design of the regional electricity market has made any investment in nuclear energy a high-risk venture. The Czechs had to put their nuclear energy ambitions on hold and, although rhetorically fully committed to the nuclear path, they slowly search for alternatives. This paper takes a closer look at the development of the Czech reaction to Energiewende. More specifically, it analyzes energy policy documents, draft legislation, transcripts of parliamentary debates and press releases to reconstruct the policies undertaken in response to the shift in German energy policy. The case study is mainly intended to provide an empirical account for the concepts of interdependence and policy diffusion. In practical terms, it also raises the question of the compatibility of nuclear-based and renewable energy-based decarbonization strategies in the closely interconnected and integrated market environment. Finally, it informs our understanding of energy sovereignty – an issue that has been in the Central and Eastern Europe traditionally associated with geopolitics and security of (gas) supply.