That surprised even FDP chairman Thierry Burkart (47). Under the leadership of SP Energy Minister Simonetta Sommaruga (62), the Bundesrat is suddenly ready to help nuclear power plant operators if necessary and to examine possible adjustments to the framework conditions for the long-term operation of nuclear power plants.
The impending power shortages in the coming winters have alarmed the Federal Council. The Swiss nuclear power plants must be able to operate for as long as possible.
Second “Mühleberg case” must be prevented
The Mühleberg nuclear power station serves as a cautionary example. In December 2019, Berner BKW took the nuclear power plant off the grid. This is in line with the phasing out of nuclear energy that Switzerland decided in 2017 with its energy strategy.
But: At Mühleberg, economic criteria were the only decisive factor. BKW would have had to secure a three-digit sum – without knowing how much longer the system could be in operation. The energy company no longer wanted to invest that much money.
The FDP wants to prevent another of the four remaining nuclear power plants from being shut down solely because of a lack of profitability – also because of the looming power shortage. The party is even campaigning for federal funds to support the retrofitting of systems essential for reliable power.
France has to turn off nuclear power time after time
And indeed, the Federal Council has unexpectedly made many concessions for aid.
Today, the existing nuclear power plants in Switzerland can continue to operate as long as they are safe. While authorities and operators long assumed that the plants would have to be shut down after 50 years, they now expect a lifespan of 60 years. According to this, Leibstadt should be the last nuclear power plant to be taken off the grid in 2044.
This period should in any case be exhausted as much as possible. The nuclear power plants should continue to provide reliable electricity for years to come, ensuring a seamless transition until Switzerland can meet its electricity needs with renewable energy.
problems in France
This openness must also be seen against the background of the maintenance problems at many nuclear power plants in France, explains spokeswoman Annetta Bundi of the responsible Department of Environment and Energy (UVEK).
However, the Bundesrat still hopes that it will not have to invest federal resources in the nuclear power plants. Because the war in Ukraine has also shot up electricity prices, the state government currently assumes “that long-term operation without financial support from the federal government is economically possible”.
FDP President Burkart is not primarily advocating for direct federal funds. He could also reduce taxes on the decommissioning fund.
“But the Federal Council’s answer shows that it has recognized that in addition to a renewable energy offensive, it is also necessary to keep the existing nuclear power plants running for a longer period of time,” he says with satisfaction. “And it shows that the energy strategy needs corrections because of certain misconceptions.”
Ecoparties are fighting back against subsidies for nuclear power plants
The ecoparties are significantly less satisfied. “You should not subsidize a technology that has no future in advance,” says GLP chairman Jürg Grossen (53). “In the current context of high electricity prices, there is no problem that nuclear power plants have to be shut down for financial reasons.”
Grossen wants to put much more emphasis on improving electricity efficiency and accelerating the expansion of renewable energy sources. “The bourgeois parties have put their feet on the brakes when it comes to renewable energy for the past ten years,” says the GLP boss. He also sees the danger that extra financial incentives for nuclear power plant operators will slow down the expansion of renewables.
The leader of the Greens, Aline Trede (39), also has a strong opinion about the efforts to extend the life of the nuclear power plant: “That is not possible!” Instead of investing money in longer periods of nuclear power plants, it is better to invest the money in the expansion of renewable energy sources and the replacement of gas and oil heating. But that would suddenly change the rules of the energy strategy determined by the people.