Energy Supervision criticizes lack of transparency of the Federal Council at Birr AG power plant
The Federal Council was not transparent enough in its justification for granting the operating license for the reserve power plant in Birr, Aargau, at the end of 2022. This is the conclusion of the National Council's supervisory committee. It is calling for legal loopholes to be closed.
28.02.2025, 16:00
SDA
According to a ruling by the Federal Administrative Court in February 2024, the Federal Council should not have issued an operating ordinance for the reserve power plant in Birr AG, which was intended to supply Switzerland with electricity in the event of a shortage. According to the judges, the legal conditions for this were not met because, in their opinion, there was no severe shortage in the winter of 2022/2023.
On Friday, the National Council's Control Committee (CPC-N) issued its assessment of the case. In its report, it regrets that the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) barely mentioned the information basis that led to an operating license in the documents.
As a result, it is not possible to transparently verify whether the requirements for the operation of the reserve power plant were met at the time in accordance with the Federal Supply Act, writes the GPK-N. In its opinion, it is also unclear whether there was a demonstrable threat of a serious shortage at the end of March 2023, when the Uvek rejected the objections to the operating license.
The High Supervisory Commission is calling on the Federal Council to enshrine a clear definition in law that can be used to determine whether a severe energy shortage exists.
