Power crunch: keeping the lights on: blessed with high-energy hydropower, Switzerland may appear to be in a strong position to maintain a secure, low-carbon economy, but business groups warn of a likely energy supply crunch.
| Auteur | Broom, Giles |
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The Swiss economy would struggle without a reliable and affordable supply of energy. The consequences of blackouts on both business and front-line services--such as' hospitals and schools--would be severe. Industry experts are warning of a looming electricity supply shortfall. Policymakers and voters will need to make some tough decisions in the near future, if we are to keep the lights on.
An end to the good old days
A boom in hydropower construction in the years following WWII has provided much of the country's electricity supply, harnessing the potential of high-altitude lakes and rivers. Since the 1970s, a fleet of five nuclear power stations has supplemented these facilities, providing much of the country's remaining electricity requirements. Hydro currently generates around 55 per cent of electricity, with 40 per cent coming from nuclear.
But with energy consumption on the increase and nuclear power stations nearing the end of their productive lives, utility companies such as Baden-based Axpo have acknowledged that the country faces an electricity supply crunch as early as 2012.
The crunch
All five of Switzerland's nuclear energy plants will be redundant by 2020. Urs Naf, an energy expert with the business lobby group, economiesuisse, tells Swiss News that the problem now is "how to fill the gap".
According to Federal Office of Energy (OFEN) spokesperson Matthieu Buchs, the Swiss government is constitutionally obliged to provide "a secure, diverse and economically viable energy supply".
Federal Minister for the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, Moritz Leuenberger, says Switzerland can build its way out of the forthcoming crunch. "The Federal Council intends to construct new large power stations--for example hydro plants--and replace nuclear stations when they are taken out of service," he explains to Swiss News.
Power to the people
To streamline this process, the government passed a new law m 2005 denying cantons the right to veto the construction of new nuclear facilities. In spite of this, cantonal authorities are holding a series of consultations--which must be completed by March 2011--to feed public concerns into a parliamentary debate on the subject. "The people will have the final word," Buchs says.
"It is a highly political discussion and debate," says Naf, whose organisation plans to begin a campaign prior to a public referendum in 2013.
The utilities sector remains confident that people...
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