14 July 2008 - Negotiations are underway between politicians and power company executives that could lead to an agreement reversing Germany's plan to phase-out its nuclear power generation capability, according to a report in today's Financial Times.

The London newspaper says that negotiations are "little more than a sketch so far", but that the intention is for nuclear power producers to establish a fund that would be used to finance research in renewable energy, lower electricity prices for those in fuel poverty or energy efficiency measures like home insulation. The fund would use profits generated by the extension of nuclear power production beyond the current deadline of 2022.

Nuclear power accounts for around 11 per cent of German electricity consumption and with much of its coal fired capacity facing closure as a result of the European Large Combustion Plant Directive, Germany faces a possible power shortfall by 2015