Summary:
Germany and France are moving toward the same energy transition goal of carbon neutrality. However, they are on fundamentally different paths. The German strategy deploys renewable energies extensively. The French strategy also relies on renewable energies, but especially on nuclear power to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, both countries are facing the same problem: the closure of (old) nuclear power plants and the redevelopment of the sites and regions concerned. We will analyze two nuclear power plants, Brunsbüttel in Germany and Fessenheim in France, which are currently undergoing conversion. At Fessenheim, on the one hand, the closure is considered a great loss for the region. The government has taken charge of the redevelopment and is leading the steering committee. The closing of Brunsbüttel, on the other hand, did not raise any concerns. However, regulatory loopholes concerning waste management are causing some difficulties. Comparing the trajectories of these two different nuclear power plants will enrich the discussion on the redevelopment of post-nuclear regions.