by Armando Mombelli, swissinfo.ch
The phasing out of nuclear power will mean a profound transformation of the Swiss energy system. But the Energy Strategy 2050, which the government has issued for consultation, is too slow for some, unrealistic for others.
It will be the issue of the century for Swiss politics – but also for the economy and society as a whole. The new energy strategy, devised in the wake of the March 2011 nuclear disaster at Fukushima, will need to be implemented over several decades and will keep two or three generations of politicians busy.
At the economic level, hundreds of billions of francs will be needed to bring about the planned energy savings, develop renewable energy sources, modernise infrastructure and shut down the atomic power stations.
The transformation of the national energy system will call for new clean-tech firms and new jobs, while heavy cuts are looming for the three major electricity suppliers who run the nuclear plants.
New energy taxes, financial support for private power stations, rebuilding of plants, electrification of vehicle traffic, stricter standards of energy efficiency for lighting and appliances: the wave of change will affect every citizen in one way or another. Thousands of solar, wind and geothermal plants will be springing up everywhere, changing the face of the country.
Halving consumption
These are the scenarios being conjured up by Energy Strategy 2050, put out for consultation by the federal government at the end of September.
In the absence of a finalised plan, the details remain somewhat vague, but for the government one thing is sure: Switzerland will be able to cover its own needs for electrical energy without nuclear power plants, but there will have to be “major efforts” and a “shift in thinking”.
Concretely, the government strategy aims to halve total consumption of energy by 2050 through a series of measures aimed at improving the energy efficiency of buildings, industries, transportation, machinery and power stations.
The savings will mainly affect imported fossil fuels, while domestic production of electricity is to decline slowly. Atomic energy will be made up for almost completely by new renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind.
This proposed energy turnaround has the backing of the parties of the left and centre and the environmental lobby.
“We’re going in the right direction, especially as regards giving up nuclear power, reducing our dependence on petroleum, and energy savings,” said Social Democrat parliamentarian Eric Nussbaumer.
This first multi-family house in Switzerland produces more energy than the energy it consumes (Keystone)
Categories: Europe, Switzerland