Germany hammers Trump over debate barbs about Berlin’s energy transition

“Germany tried that, and within one year, they were back to building normal energy plants,” he added.

But the German foreign ministry took umbrage at that, blasting Trump in an unusually blunt statement on social media.

“Like it or not: Germany’s energy system is fully operational, with more than 50 percent renewables,” the ministry wrote. “And we are shutting down — not building — coal and nuclear plants. Coal will be off the grid by 2038 at the latest.”

Like it or not: Germany’s energy system is fully operational, with more than 50% renewables. And we are shutting down – not building – coal & nuclear plants. Coal will be off the grid by 2038 at the latest. PS: We also don’t eat cats and dogs. #Debate2024 pic.twitter.com/PiDO98Vxfo — GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) September 11, 2024

“PS: We also don’t eat cats and dogs. #Debate2024,” the statement added, referring to Trump repeating a widely debunked claim that undocumented immigrants were eating people’s pets in Ohio.

Germany, which had deepened its reliance on cheap Russian oil and gas for decades, faced a major energy crisis at the beginning of the Kremlin's war on Ukraine and was forced to keep several coal-fired power plants online for longer than planned, while restarting others.

Berlin has also faced criticism over its controversial decision to shutter nuclear reactors after Japan’s 2011 Fukushima disaster, a move which was pushed by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative-liberal coalition.