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?
Swiss price watchdog negotiates lower fees for card payments
This content was published on
Small businesses in Switzerland will have to pay fewer fees for cashless payments from customers over the next few years.
Lakes in Central Switzerland have best water quality for bathing
This content was published on
Anyone who swims in a lake in Central Switzerland need have no fear of infection from intestinal bacteria. The water samples taken at 65 bathing sites in 13 lakes all have good to excellent bathing water quality.
This content was published on
Unknown assailants have stolen a historic ring from a Basel museum. The stolen item was a gift from Russian Tsar Alexander I to his host in Basel in 1814.
More May hotel guests in Basel than at any time in past 90 years
This content was published on
Basel hotels recorded 150,854 overnight stays for the Eurovision Song Contest in May. This corresponds to a year-on-year increase of 8.4%.
Demand remains high for rental flats in Switzerland
This content was published on
More rental flats are once again being advertised on property portals in Switzerland. However, demand also remains very high.
One in five Europeans exposed to too much traffic noise
This content was published on
More than one in five Europeans are exposed to unhealthily high levels of traffic noise, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).
New living space through densification often comes at expense of the poor
This content was published on
If demolition and new construction are carried out and tenants have to make way, low-income households are affected more often than average.
This content was published on
The ceasefire in the Iran-Israel war has visibly eased tensions on the financial markets. The SMI, Switzerland's leading stock market index, has risen above the 12,000 point mark again.
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.