Energy policy –
Switzerland strengthens its renewable energies from January 1
To ensure indigenous production of electricity, the Federal Council will put in place a first phase of measures from 2025.
Published today at 3:44 p.m.
The Electricity Act regulates the further promotion of renewable energies.
KEYSTONE/Jean-Christophe Bott
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The development of renewable energies in Switzerland will be strengthened, allowing greater indigenous production of electricity. After the popular adoption last June of this plan, the Federal Council set on Wednesday the entry into force of a first part of measures for January 1, 2025.
The Electricity Act regulates the continued encouragement of renewable energies, introduces instruments for security of supply, such as the compulsory hydroelectric reserve, and includes measures to strengthen energy efficiency, recalls the government in a press release. To give the electricity sector sufficient time to deploy certain measures, it is implementing the changes in a staggered manner.
In detail, the law facilitates the construction of large hydraulic, photovoltaic, wind turbine, pumped storage and biomass installations. Now of national interest, their establishment will take precedence over the protection of nature or the landscape.
For solar installations, they will be of national interest if their electricity production in winter reaches at least 5 GWh, specifies the Federal Council. In the field of hydraulics, sixteen storage hydroelectric power stations will benefit from primacy in principle. Their construction will involve additional compensation measures for the protection of biodiversity and the landscape.
The primacy of principle over other national interests does not mean that the installation will necessarily be approved, the government emphasizes. Specific consideration and weighing of interests will always take place. And the possibilities for democratic participation are preserved.
Winter reserve
The law also provides a specific legal basis for an energy reserve for the winter. The hydroelectric reserve will no longer be constituted through calls for tender. Against compensation, operators of large storage lakes will be required to retain sufficient water in order to cope with shortages.
The law also introduces a monitoring system intended to monitor the situation in terms of electricity supply. This task is entrusted to Swissgrid, the national company for operating the electricity network.
Effectiveness measures
Furthermore, by 2035, efficiency measures should save 2 TWh of electricity per year. To do this, electricity suppliers will implement a new instrument to improve energy efficiency.
Programs at the Swiss level must also contribute to the objective of saving electricity by 2035. These are measures that can be implemented in a large number of households or businesses, such as replacing water pumps. traffic.
Other measures will come into force at the beginning of next year. They concern the authorization of intelligent measurement systems, the floating market premium, or even various contributions and bonuses intended to promote renewable energy installations.
On the other hand, provisions relating to spatial planning will come into force on July 1, 2025. The rest of the new rules, such as the take-back and remuneration obligation as well as the new minimum remuneration, should be introduced on January 1, 2026.
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