Cantonal Council SZ Schwyz parliament wants to promote deep geothermal energy in the canton

On Wednesday, a large majority of the Schwyz cantonal parliament voted in favor of promoting deep geothermal energy. In order to make this possible, parliament must amend the Energy Act.

Specifically, the canton wants to carry out preliminary investigations into the geothermal potential in interesting areas and then make the collected data public. This will serve as a basis for potential investors.

The government has proposed that a maximum of 30 percent of the costs for deep geothermal energy projects be covered, provided that the federal government provides investment contributions, according to the government's report. If the federal and cantonal contributions exceed 90 percent of the costs, the cantonal contribution will be reduced. The remaining 10 percent is the responsibility of the investors.

The majority of the parties were in favor of the use of deep geothermal energy. This could promote independence from foreign countries, was a frequently cited argument. However, the SVP parliamentary group expressed concerns about the impact of deep drilling on the environment. Among other things, these had triggered minor earthquakes in St. Gallen and Basel.

For this reason, Urs Rhyner (FDP) requested that the canton should not make any contributions to the hydraulic stimulation of rock strata. In the so-called "fracking" process, water is pressed into the rock at high pressure to create cracks. This allows water to flow through the rock and absorb heat in the process. The water is then used to generate electricity. The Cantonal Council approved the proposal by 92 votes to 2 with one abstention.

Little experience with carbon storage

The GLP requested that carbon storage also be examined as part of the partial revision. The SP and Greens supported this motion. The SVP, Center Party and FDP rejected the motion on the grounds that there was still too little experience with carbon storage and its impact on the environment.

Parliament approved the partial revision of the cantonal energy law in the final vote by 90 votes to 6. The business is subject to an optional referendum.

Geothermal energy is an environmentally friendly source of energy from domestic resources that supports the reduction of fossil fuels. Unlike other renewable energies, it is not dependent on the weather. It is already being used in the canton of Schwyz in the form of geothermal probes or groundwater heat pumps.