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Officials have denied problems in the Franco-German relationship, but Chancellor Scholz’s focus on domestic politics is upsetting some lawmakers in Europe.

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Fresh tensions between France and Germany are challenging their relationship at a time when their unity is critical for broader European policy in tackling the energy crisis.

The leaders of the two nations will meet in Paris on Wednesday, but this encounter almost got canceled.

It was initially meant to be a broader discussion including government ministers, then it was announced it was being postponed, and eventually, it was transformed into just a meeting between the two heads of state.

“The Franco-German’s historical commitment to close cooperation seems questioned, or at least challenged, today,” Alberto Alemanno, professor of EU law at H.E.C Business School, told CNBC via email.

He added that the action of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is “creating the deepest divides within the Union.”

France and Germany are the two largest economies in the European Union and two of the founding nations of this political grouping. Their unity is essential for EU policymaking.

France and Germany have had their differences over how to tackle the energy crisis. While, for example, France defended a cap on European gas prices, the German government only agreed to do so last week — and with several conditions attached.

Germany has also been criticized for approving a 200 billion euro ($200.2 billion) rescue package looking to support German companies and families while blocking steps at the EU level to raise more money and support European nations with less fiscal room.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in the wake of this plan that the euro zone needed to work together and avoid fragmentation among the 19 countries that share the common currency.

In addition, there are concerns in the broader EU about Scholz’s upcoming trip to China and for looking to do business with a nation that is increasingly deemed as a rival to European countries. There are also issues with Germany’s long delay in delivering weapons to Ukraine.

“The relationship is obviously strained, a development I blame mostly the German government for,” Jacob Kirkegaard, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund think tank, said via email.

“Scholz leads the first three-party coalition in German history, and as such has less control over his ‘domestic politics’ than previous German chancellors on top of having ideologically often opposed coalition members in the Greens and FDP,” he added.

‘Blown out of proportion’

French officials, however, have denied any sort of tensions, but they have acknowledged that Germany’s three-party coalition makes any sort of agreement slower to achieve.

“This has been blown out of proportion,” a French official, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of this issue, told CNBC about the tension between Paris and Berlin.

The changes to the original gathering have been linked to calendar issues, with German ministers reportedly arguing this was a good week for holidays with their families. Le Maire said the postponement had “nothing to do with any kind of political difficulties,” according to Politico.

The same official added that sometimes both countries move “more slowly” on policy than what would be desired, but “we are always discussing with the Germans.”

Nonetheless, they added that the German coalition, in place since December, is relatively new and “there is a learning curve there.”

“It takes a lot of time for them to find a common position,” the official said.

The German government was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

Scholz said last week that “as far as cooperation with France is concerned, President Macron and I meet very, very often.”

Analysts at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group have also noted that “frustration with Berlin has grown” across Europe.

“While the criticism initially centered around what was perceived by many senior EU officials as Berlin’s limited military support for [Kyiv], member states across the board have now started to criticize Germany’s fiscal and energy policies too,” they said in a note Tuesday.

“Disappointment with Berlin has now gone so far that it actually risks weakening the Franco-German alliance—the EU’s single most important bilateral relationship,” they added.

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Win your dream EV in Climate XChange’s 9th annual raffle!

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November 16, 2024

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Win your dream EV in Climate XChange's 9th annual raffle!

Climate XChange

Climate XChange’s 9th Annual EV Raffle is your chance to win the electric car of your dreams – from Rivian to Tesla to Porsche and more!

But don’t wait, because there are only 5,000 tickets available!

Imagine getting to custom order your perfect EV, with every detail just the way you want it, up to $120,000, and with all taxes covered. That’s what the Grand Prize Winner gets to do – and you could be that winner.

How it works

Climate XChange

Enter at CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek. Every ticket you buy is one entry to win. Climate XChange is only selling 5,000 tickets, which means your odds are better here than most internet sweepstakes! Plus, you can feel good knowing your ticket supports an amazing cause: pushing for state-level climate action and advancing the transition to a zero-emissions economy.

The prizes

  • Grand Prize: Custom-built EV of your choice, valued up to $120,000, with all taxes covered.
  • 2nd Place: $12,500 cash.
  • 3rd Place: $7,500 cash.
  • Early Bird Prize: Buy your ticket before December 31, 2024, and you’ll also be entered to win $10,000 on January 3, 2025.

That’s two drawings for the price of one ticket – and four chances to win big!

Why enter?

Climate XChange

Climate XChange has been making dreams come true for nearly a decade. Last year’s winner drove off in a custom red Tesla Model X Plaid, and you could be next! Climate XChange takes fairness seriously: It prints every raffle ticket stub and live-streams the entire drawing process, ensuring transparency. Independent auditors oversee everything, so you know the drawing is legit.

Who is Climate XChange?

Climate XChange (CXC) is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states transition to a zero-emissions economy. It advances state climate policy through its State Climate Policy Network, connecting over 15,000 advocates and policymakers, and through its State Climate Policy Dashboard, a leading data platform for tracking climate action across the US.

Get your ticket today

Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to grab your ticket. Limited tickets are available – remember, Climate XChange is only selling 5,000 tickets – so don’t miss your shot at an electric future!

Climate XChange EV Raffle rules summary

  • Must be 18 or older to enter.
  • Tickets are available at CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek.
  • Only 5,000 tickets will be sold.
  • Early Bird Drawing on January 3, 2025.
  • Grand Prize Drawing on February 28, 2025.

All proceeds support Climate XChange’s work to push for ambitious climate policy – so even if you don’t win, you’re still making a difference.

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Environment

China’s 3GW Gobi Desert solar farm can power 2 million households

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November 16, 2024

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China's 3GW Gobi Desert solar farm can power 2 million households

Gobi Desert solar farm

China just connected its largest single-capacity solar farm built on a former coal mining area, which is in the Gobi Desert, to the grid.

The Mengxi Blue Ocean Photovoltaic Power Station, located in Otog Front Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia, came online on November 5. With a massive installed capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW) and over 5.9 million solar panels, the plant will generate around 5.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually – enough to power 2 million households.

This huge project will save about 1.71 million tons of standard coal each year and cut carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 4.7 million tons, which is equivalent to planting 62,700 hectares (around 155,000 acres) of trees.

Built on coal mining subsidence land, Mengxi Blue Ocean is part of China’s national West-East Electricity Transfer Project, which brings investment and development to western China west while supplying the growing need for electricity in the eastern provinces.

The solar farm includes the country’s first large-scale outdoor solar testing base in the Gobi Desert climate, demonstrating the potential for large solar installations in challenging environments.

The power station makes use of new rare earth alloy grounding materials, cutting costs by 40%. It also replaces traditional concrete foundations with steel to minimize impact on the local grassland ecosystem.

Chuang Xihong, deputy director of the Engineering Construction Department of Guodian Power Group, CHN Energy’s parent company, explained that Mengxi Blue Ocean is an agrivoltaic project as well [via PV Tech]:

Fine forage and sand-fixing plants are planted under the PV modules, providing grazing for Australian White Sheep and chickens. A composite ecological development model will be established where PV power generation and breeding will go hand in hand.

Read more: China powers up the world’s largest open-sea offshore solar farm

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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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Environment

Here’s a look inside the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant

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November 16, 2024

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Here's a look inside the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant

Operations at Three Mile Island are poised to restart in four years, the latest sign that the nuclear power industry is undergoing a major turnaround after a wave of plant closures.

The Unit 1 reactor at Three Mile Island, which entered service in 1974, was permanently shut down in 2019 due to economic pressure as nuclear power struggled to compete against natural gas. But the tech sector’s growing power needs are breathing new life into the industry.

Constellation Energy plants to restart Unit 1 in 2028 through an agreement with Microsoft to help power the tech company’s data centers. The plant will be renamed the Crane Clean Energy Center — after Chris Crane, the late CEO of the plant’s former owner, Exelon — and its restart is subject to approval by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The Department of Energy said Unit 1 operated safely and efficiently before being shut down five years ago. However, it lies within walking distance of the site of the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history. The Unit 2 reactor suffered a partial meltdown in 1979 and has not operated since the accident. It is being decommissioned by its owner, Energy Solutions.

Constellation’s chief generation officer, Bryan Hanson said Unit 1 is in good condition and the restoration will mostly involve typical maintenance work.

Here is a look at the plant’s main control room, the turbine deck that houses the main power generator, and the facility’s iconic cooling towers. For more on the restart click here.

Main control room

The control panel in the main control room of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Constellation’s chief generation officer, Bryan Hanson, inside the main control room of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Telephones in the main control room of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Part of the main control room of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Part of the main control room of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Turbine deck

Part of the turbine deck of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Part of the turbine deck of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Electrical panels on the turbine deck of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Part of the turbine deck of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

A desk on the turbine deck of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Cooling towers

A detail of two cooling towers at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Power lines and a cooling tower at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Detail of a cooling tower at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

Cooling towers at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Middletown, Pennsylvania, Oct. 30, 2024.

Danielle DeVries | CNBC

— CNBC’s Danielle DeVries contributed to this report.

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