Energy Council of States committee wants to allow new nuclear power plant construction again
A majority of the responsible Council of States committee would like to allow the construction of new nuclear power plants again. It has surprisingly clearly approved a counter-proposal to the Stop Blackout Initiative. The center-left had vetoed the proposal during the consultation process.
20.01.2026, 15:52
20.01.2026, 16:10
SDA
In the Council of States' Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy Committee (Urek-S), however, the majorities were clearly divided: By 10 votes to 2 with abstentions, it voted in favour of lifting the existing ban on general licenses for new nuclear power plants, as reported by the parliamentary services on Tuesday. The small chamber is expected to deal with the matter in the spring session.
According to the press release, an energy policy that is open to all technologies should ensure sufficient domestic production capacities for a secure and cost-effective power supply at all times. The possibility of building new nuclear power plants will expand the scope for action for the future energy supply.
Urek-S states in the press release that the indirect counter-proposal only creates the fundamental possibility of new nuclear power plants, but does not regulate their financing. However, it does not explicitly rule out subsidies from the federal government.
Environmental organizations and the Green Party sharply criticized the Commission's decision. With the revival of the nuclear power plant, the bourgeoisie were sabotaging the energy transition, they said. The Swiss Energy Foundation (SES) and other organizations initiated a public letter of protest so that the Council of States could prevent "the failed nuclear turnaround" after all.
