Energy Federal Council wants to allow construction of new nuclear power plants in principle

The Federal Council is shaking up the ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants adopted in 2017. It announced on Wednesday that it would draw up a corresponding bill. In doing so, it wants to address a concern of the popular initiative "Electricity for all at all times (stop the blackout)" into account.

The Swiss electorate decided to phase out nuclear power seven years ago. New nuclear power plants may therefore no longer be built. The existing nuclear power plants may remain in operation as long as they are safe. However, the popular initiative "Stop the blackout" submitted in February calls for the ban on the construction of nuclear power plants to be lifted.

According to the "directional decision" taken on Wednesday, the Federal Council is open to this, as it announced. "The existing ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants is not compatible with the goal of technological openness and also poses risks for the dismantling of existing plants."

The Federal Council also stated that it was unclear whether the expansion of renewable energies would take place quickly enough to cover the loss of capacity and the increasing demand for electricity in time. It shares the position of the initiative committee that technological openness is a prerequisite for being able to cover the increasing demand for electricity in a climate-friendly, safe and reliable manner in the long term.

Proposal by the end of the year

Specifically, the Federal Council wants to draw up an indirect counter-proposal to the popular initiative, i.e. an amendment at legislative level. It wrote that lifting the ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants would not require an amendment to the constitution. For these and other reasons, it rejects the initiative proposing an amendment to the constitution.

According to the Federal Council, it intends to draw up the indirect counter-proposal before the end of this year. The aim is to ensure the long-term security of energy supply. The Federal Department of the Environment and Energy will submit an amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act by the end of 2024.

The consultation process should last until the end of March 2025, it added. Parliament will then discuss the initiative and the counter-proposal. Energy Minister Albert Rösti has said several times in the recent past that he is personally open to considering all technologies. "We should not play the technologies off against each other."

Four nuclear power plants in operation

There are currently four nuclear power plants in operation in Switzerland - three in the canton of Aargau and one in the canton of Solothurn: the two Beznau reactors are located in Döttingen AG. There is one nuclear reactor each in Leibstadt AG and Däniken SO.

82 percent of Swiss nuclear power plants are owned by the public sector. The oldest plant has been in commercial operation in Beznau since 1969. A fifth nuclear power plant in Mühleberg BE was shut down in 2019 after 47 years. It is due to be decommissioned by 2034.

Greens have already announced their opposition

The Greens announced their opposition to the possible construction of new nuclear power plants in Switzerland at their party meeting in mid-August. "Nuclear power has no future, our future is renewable energies," said party president Lisa Mazzone.

"We are ready for another referendum, Mr. Rösti, to fight new nuclear power plants in Switzerland," she said. "We are ready for the referendum. And we will win it."

SDA