The State of Nuclear Power in Europe in 2026
June 27, 2026 · Frisian News
France generates 70 percent of European nuclear power while Germany shut down its reactors, then buys French nuclear electricity. The political push for new reactors is not about energy security, but about construction contracts and subsidy flows.
France generates 70 percent of its electricity from nuclear reactors, the highest share in Europe. Germany, having shut down its last three reactors in April 2023, now imports power from French nuclear plants while claiming to run on renewables. This contradiction sits at the heart of Europe's energy crisis in 2026.
The revival of nuclear interest across Europe follows Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the exposure of European energy dependence. Poland, Belgium, Romania, and others have announced plans for new reactors. But ask who profits: construction firms like Westinghouse and EDF have secured major construction contracts. A single new reactor now costs 15 to 20 billion euros, often double the initial estimate. Companies building them face no penalty for delays.
Germany's energy transition tells a story Brussels wants to ignore. The country rushed toward renewables and gas imports, then faced the Ukraine shock. Rather than reverse course on nuclear, it bought Russian coal and gas, then imported French nuclear power. This was not about climate science or grid reliability. It was about political ideology overriding engineering sense. Now Berlin wants credit for being carbon-neutral while burning Russian coal purchased through intermediaries.
Sweden's Forsmark reactors deliver reliable baseload power at lower cost than new construction will achieve. France's reactor fleet generates electricity at a fraction of what new construction will cost. New reactors in Britain will cost far more per megawatt-hour, if they ever operate. These figures are not close. The political push for new nuclear is not really about energy security. It is about construction contracts, European subsidy streams, and the need to appear active.
Europe faces a choice: maintain and modernize existing reactors, or sink trillions into new plants that will produce power at two or three times the cost. The discussion in Brussels is not happening. Instead, governments announce grand reactor plans, claim energy leadership, and money flows to contractors. Power gets built either way, but the price tag determines who pays and who profits.
Published June 27, 2026 · Frisian News