National Council wants no new nuclear power plants for now

No time? blue News summarizes for you

• The National Council is sending the nuclear power counterproposal back to the Federal Council. It is demanding more clarity on the financing of new nuclear power plants.
• The rejection was extremely close. The votes of the centrist faction were decisive.
• The Federal Council and the Council of States want to make new nuclear power plants possible again in principle. However, the decision has not yet been made.

Summary created with

For now, the National Council wants nothing to do with new nuclear power plants. It rejected the counterproposal to the “Electricity for Everyone at All Times (Stop the Blackout)” initiative for revision by a vote of 100 to 97, with two abstentions. This means the counterproposal must go through another round in Parliament.

Before a possible lifting of the ban on new nuclear power plants, the National Council wants more information from the Federal Council regarding the financial consequences of such construction projects. The decision is a partial victory for opponents of nuclear power.

“Do you know what this is?”

Green Party National Council member speaks eight words—and immediately faces her first rebuke

In addition to the SP, the Greens, and the GLP, the vast majority of the centrist faction also voted in favor. The votes from the center helped the motion secure a majority.

However, the lower house rejected a motion to decline to consider the bill altogether by a vote of 111 to 88, with no abstentions. Now it is the Council of States’ turn again on Tuesday. It must decide whether it agrees with the rejection.

During the spring session, the Council of States had spoken out in favor of removing the ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants from the law. The Federal Council also wishes to make it possible again to grant framework permits for new nuclear power plants. The Council did not make a decision on the initiative itself on Monday. It suspended consideration of the corresponding federal resolution.

The National Council has lifted the ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants.

sda

End of a marathon debate

Once again, fundamentally different positions clashed in the National Council for a good two hours. The Council had already debated the matter for nearly eight hours last week.

The relevant committee had supported the counterproposal in the preliminary consultation by an extremely narrow margin of 13 to 12 votes. The narrow majority of the National Council’s Committee on the Environment, Spatial Planning, and Energy (Urek-N) argued that Switzerland relies on a reliable, low-carbon, and cost-effective energy supply and must keep all options open. This is particularly true in the event that Switzerland fails to meet its renewable energy expansion targets.

Opponents of lifting the ban argued in particular that planning certainty regarding the expansion of renewable energy would be undermined. They also feared significant financial risks, particularly for the federal government and the cantons.

Safety Concerns

Without subsidies, new nuclear power plants would not be competitive for years to come, noted Marie-France Roth Pasquier (Center/FR). However, if the state guaranteed a purchase price, they would crowd out hydropower. Furthermore, the expansion of renewables would be slowed down. Ultimately, this would harm security of supply.

At the moment, no one is willing to invest in a new nuclear power plant anyway, said Clarence Chollet (Greens/NE). The Federal Council does not address numerous questions in its counterproposal, such as those regarding the disposal of radioactive waste.

The centralized organization of nuclear power plants makes them an easy target for terrorist attacks and military strikes, said Niklaus Samuel Gugger (EVP/ZH). “A look at Ukraine is enough to understand the extent of this risk.”

“This makes no sense”

Energy Minister Albert Rösti said that nothing less than the country’s energy security was at stake. The Federal Council had been obligated to launch the discussion—regardless of the outcome. Switzerland needs baseload power, especially in winter, he clarified when asked.

Rösti also pointed out how objections are slowing down the expansion of hydroelectric and wind power. He cited the issue of raising the Grimsel Dam as an example. If renewable energy is curtailed due to biodiversity concerns and we want to ensure climate protection, then there is little choice but to raise the issue of nuclear power.

He will continue to advocate for the expansion of renewable energy, the energy minister promised. The accusation that he wants to undermine the energy transition is “at the very least far-fetched.”

Of course, we won’t just plan into the blue, he said regarding the motion to refer the bill back. However, saying now what a potential project will cost in twenty years would be highly hypothetical. “That makes no sense.”