Energy Minister Doris Leuthard has rejected criticism of government plans to replace nuclear energy with gas and water power as well as energy saving measures.
Leuthard said the cabinet’s energy outlook, presented last Wednesday, was in line with the policy on climate change.
It is crucial to reduce the use of fossil energy and promote renewable resources, she said in an interview in Saturday’s edition of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper.
Leuthard came out in favour of curbing the rights of environmental groups to block the construction of power stations.
She also said it would wrong to shut down the existing five nuclear power plants before they have reached the end of their lifespan.
Parliament last year approved a government proposal to opt out of nuclear power by 2034.
Switzerland’s energy needs are covered mainly by hydropower (54 per cent) and nuclear energy (40 per cent), according to official data.
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.
Read more
More
Strategy outlined for nuclear-free energy future
This content was published on
Switzerland’s heavy reliance on nuclear energy came under intense pressure in the wake of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster, with the government ultimately pledging to abandon nuclear power by 2034. Central to the government’s plans will be the construction of combined heat and power-generating plants as well as combined-cycle gas plants. Renewable energies will make up…
This content was published on
While the technology to replace atomic power, especially for renewable energy, exists to a large extent, its implementation faces financial and political hurdles before it becomes a reality. “There was a before and after Fukushima moment. Swiss energy policy was never the same,” Christian Democrat Party president Christophe Darbellay said. Indeed, a full spectrum of…
This content was published on
If the plant, just outside Bern, really is closed down, this would step up pressure on old nuclear stations at home and abroad. The court said Mühleberg must close by June 2013 unless the operators, BKW, show that they are prepared to invest massively in maintenance and repair. Among the causes of concern it cited…
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.