The Energy Regulation and Markets Review - Stikeman Elliott

Switzerland
said the government lacked a clear energy strategy, and the right-wing People’s Party said
ecotaxes would overburden energy-intensive industries.
ii Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy efficiency and conservation is at the forefront of the Energy Strategy 2050.
Switzerland has to confront in the coming years not only the problem of excessive
greenhouse gas emissions, but also a shortage of available energy.
Improving energy efficiency is the main tool to reduce energy consumption
without loss of benefits. Greater energy efficiency helps to achieve a desired value (e.g.,
generation of light, providing heat, driving a motor) with less energy expenditure.
Increasing the energy efficiency brings three main benefits: increased economic efficiency,
reduce energy shortages and reduce the energy consumption linked to greenhouse gas
emissions. Reducing energy consumption through increased energy efficiency will allow
only that it will be realistic in the future to cover a substantial portion of the Swiss energy
consumption through renewable energy.
In this sense, the FOE supports the development, dissemination and application
of technologies to improve energy efficiency and measures to counteract the lack of
information in households and industry on energy efficiency. In addition, the FOE will
contribute to the promotion of energy production from renewable resources so that the
remaining requirements can largely be met on renewable energy in the future.
V
OUTLOOK
The three oldest Swiss nuclear power plants were to be retired around 2020 after some 50
years of operation. Before the Fukushima disaster, three permit applications for new (i.e.,
replacement) nuclear power plants had been filed. Legislation mandates parliamentary
approval for new nuclear power plant permits. Any parliamentary decision may be
challenged in a referendum, so referenda in 2013–14 against new nuclear power plants
would have been more than likely, as public opinion was only narrowly pro‐nuclear.
On 13 February 2011, in a consultative ballot, the people of the Canton of Bern had
approved a new nuclear power plant to replace the ageing Mühleberg nuclear power
plant with a 51.2 per cent majority.
After the Fukushima disaster, however, the application procedures for the three
new nuclear power plants were suspended. Polls indicated that more than 80 per cent
of the population had turned against nuclear, thereby thwarting any new nuclear power
plant project. Two months later, the Federal Council made public its decision to phase
out nuclear power and not replace the existing nuclear power plants.
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