Russia has reduced gas supplies to Europe in retaliation for embargoes imposed for its invasion of Ukraine. And half of France’s nuclear power stations are offline because of erosion and repairs. Switzerland depends on European electricity imports over the winter months.
Speaking to the Blick newspaper on Friday, Christoph Brand, CEO of Axpo, said it was debatable whether Swiss households and industry will have enough electricity to match consumption demands this winter.
“It also depends on meteorological factors. If we have a combination of too little rain, and our reservoirs are not full enough, too little wind in Europe, French nuclear power plants not coming on grid and a continuation of the Russian gas embargo, then it could get tight,” he saidExternal link.
Brand had earlier this week warned of possible electricity rationing in an interview with the Handelszeitung newspaper. “If demand continues to grow and if uncertainty over imports continues to increase, then it’s a question of when, not if, Switzerland will face a power shortage and rationing become necessary,” he said.
The Axpo chief is also not alone in his concerns for long-term energy security given Switzerland’s decision to wind down nuclear power generation and its difficulties in negotiating future electricity supplies from the European Union.
The Swiss government is analysing a range of methods to make up for expected power shortages: sourcing supplies of liquified natural gas, forcing hydro dams to ramp up reserve energy supplies and exploring the possibility of building gas plants.
Swiss energy bills contained, but future crunch looms
This content was published on
Switzerland has so far been insulated from huge spikes in energy costs. But future energy security is a cause for concern.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has been invited to Paris by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Swiss canton coordinates donations for landslide destroyed village
This content was published on
The Swiss canton of Valais to form committee to coordinate CHF 57.4 million donations for village destroyed by a landslide.
Body of Blatten landslide victim found and identified
This content was published on
The body of 64-year-old man, who has been missing since part of the Brich glacier collapsed on the Swiss village of Blatten has been found.
Swiss watch industry calls for ‘clear solution’ with US
This content was published on
Federation of the Watch Industry calls for clear solution to tariff threat and a swift agreement between Bern and Washington.
Swiss companies told to brace for electricity shortages
This content was published on
The Swiss government has shared its vision for coping with major power outages in a brochure shared with thousands of companies.
Swiss government plans hydropower reserves and power plants
This content was published on
Switzerland is planning new hydropower reserves and three back-up power stations to prepare for any potential energy crunch in the coming years.
This content was published on
Energy supply is the most pressing problem for the Swiss economy, according to Christoph Mäder, president of economiesuisse.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.