FACTBOX-State positions on German nuclear plants

Aug 30 (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel backed an extension of nuclear power lifespans in Germany on Sunday, saying it would be reasonable if the plants could run for another 10 to 15 years. [ID:nLDE67S0D1]

Her comments follow weeks of dispute between nuclear plant operators, the federal government and Germany's 16 states over a planned nuclear power tax the government hopes will contribute 2.3 billion euros a year to fixing the budget.

On top of this, the utilities concerned are expected to have to pay some sort of levy towards funding renewable energies and make additional investment on security measures, if longer life cycles are granted.

The government itself is divided on its energy plans. Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen wants to curb the contribution of nuclear energy faster and more sharply than others in Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU).

Some 57 percent of Germans are opposed to extending the life span of nuclear plants, with 38 percent in favour, according to a monthly Politbarometer poll last week.

Only five states, are home to active nuclear reactors, and most of them favour extending their lives.

Nine of the states, including some governed by the CDU -- such as Hamburg, Thuringia and Saarland -- oppose keeping the plants open for longer and have said they will sue the government if it tries to push through an extension without the consent the Bundesrat Upper House of parliament.

Merkel's ruling coalition no longer holds a majority in the Bundesrat, the chamber that represents the states.

Following is a list of the reactors by state and each state's position on nuclear power:

BADEN-WUERTTEMBERG

Plants: Neckarwestheim 1

Neckarwestheim 2

Philippsburg 1

Philippsburg 2

What the state wants: State premier Stefan Mappus (CDU) is one of the staunchest supporters of extending the lifespans of the reactors. He has said he expect extensions of at least 15 years. The landlocked state relies on inexpensive nuclear for its blue-chip manufacturing industries as it is far away from renewable energies and seaports.

BAVARIA

Plants: Grundremmingen B

Grundremmingen C

Isar 1

Isar 2

Grafenrheinfeld

What the state wants: Its premier Horst Seehofer of the Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party to the CDU, is another outspoken supporter of keeping nuclear energy in the mix for longer. He opposes any time limit on how long nuclear power plants can run. Instead, each plant should run for as long as is safe, he has said.

HESSE

Plants: Biblis A

Biblis B

What the state wants: Hesse's state premier Roland Koch and environment minister Silke Lautenschlaeger also support extending the lifespans of nuclear power plants.

However, Koch and his environment minister will step down at the end of August. His successor Volker Bouffier (CDU) has yet to comment on the issue but is unlikely to break with Koch's line.

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN

Plants: Brunsbuettel

Brokdorf

Kruemmel

What the state wants: The state's CDU-led government has made it clear it will not support keeping nuclear power plants running longer than they are needed to act as a "bridging technology" for other forms of power generation.

LOWER SAXONY

Plants: Unterweser

Grohnde

Emsland

What the state wants: state premier David McAllister (CDU) wants only a moderate extensions, in line with Environment Minister Roettgen's views. The northern state is also banking on wind energy.

HAMBURG

What the state wants: Hamburg, where the CDU leads a coalition with the Greens, has spoken out against extensions.

SAXONY

What the state wants: supports Lower Saxony's line.

SAXONY-ANHALT

What the state wants:

State premier Wolfgang Boehmer has said he sees no alternative for the foreseeable future to coal and nuclear power and has called for federal distribution of costs of developing renewable energy sources further.

BERLIN, BRANDENBURG, BREMEN, MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN, NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA, RHINELAND-PALATINATE, SAARLAND, THURINGIA

What the states want: These states, none of which are home to any of the 17 reactors, have signed a pact against plans to extend the lives of the nuclear reactors.

They say they will sue the federal government if it tries to overturn a decision by the government of ex-chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to phase out the reactors without Bundesrat approval.

For a FACTBOX on the 17 nuclear power plants, the dates they were built and remaining capacity under the exit deal decided by Schroeder's government, please double-click on [ID:nLS3850].

(Compiled by Annika Breidthardtin Berlin, additional reporting by Vera Eckert in Frankfurt)