Swiss solar initiative collects 125,000 signatures
Swiss voters will have the final say on the Solar Initiative, which has collected 125,000 signatures, according to the Green Party.
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In October alone, 30,000 signatures were collected. The signatures have yet to be checked.
The official deadline for collecting the required 100,000 signatures expires on December 11. The “For a secure supply with renewable energies (Solar Initiative)” would be the first initiative from the Green Party alone to collect enough signatures in ten years.
It is “an important moment for our party”, said Green Party president Lisa Mazzone. The initiative is also a response to the “Electricity at all times for everyone (Stop the blackout)” initiative, which calls for a return of nuclear power plants.
The ecologist text demands that every new construction or renovation should include a solar installation. Exceptions are made in the case of protected property or if – for other reasons – the panels are disproportionate. There are also possibilities for financial support from the federal government.
The Greens want to ensure that solar energy becomes – together with hydro energy – the mainstay of the energy supply in Switzerland. “The energy production potential is roughly equal to the annual electricity consumption of the entire Swiss population,” Mazzone said.
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Translated from Italian by DeepL/mga
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