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Where will our electricity come from in the future? Of the sun? From the wind? Or a nuclear power plant? The Russian offensive war against Ukraine is questioning many of the certainties of Swiss energy policy.
Parliament is currently concerned with the future energy supply. From Monday, the National Council will debate the so-called general decree as the second chamber. The aim is to secure Switzerland’s power supply in the medium and long term.
Major endorsement for nuclear energy
Blick wanted to know: what do the population actually want? Should protected landscapes be equipped with solar panels, even if there is still a lot of space on roofs? Or should we talk about nuclear energy again – although there is still no storage facility? To get to the bottom of these questions, research institute Sotomo, commissioned by Blick, conducted a survey among approximately 9,000 voters from German- and French-speaking Switzerland.
It shows that nuclear energy has a lot of public support. 55 percent of respondents believe that nuclear power plants play an important role in eliminating the electricity bottleneck in Switzerland. Nuclear energy ranks third – behind solar systems on buildings (77 percent) and large wind turbines (74 percent).
Public initiative in collection phase
As recently as 2017, people approved the Energy Strategy 2050 and with it the phasing out of nuclear energy, with 58 percent yes votes. The vote was a triumph for then energy minister Doris Leuthard (59).
Only: the big discussions about promoting alternatives started shortly afterwards. In the case of the solar systems, it was the investments that barely paid off. In the case of hydropower, the low energy prices prevented expansion. And in the case of wind energy, the tough resistance and objections that block projects for years.
Nowadays everything looks different again: at the moment there is even a citizens’ initiative in the collection phase that wants to lift the construction ban for nuclear power plants. The song “Electricity for everyone at all times” was launched in the late summer of 2022 and wants to lay down in the constitution that the power supply must be guaranteed at all times – new nuclear reactors must also be built for this if necessary.
And that despite the fact that the Greens demand that all existing nuclear power plants be taken off the grid by 2037 at the latest. Only: the voters see it differently. It rejects the Greens’ demand by 64 percent, according to the poll. Only more than a third are in favor or are more likely to shut down the nuclear power plants by then.
Rather no subsidies for operators of nuclear power plants
Meanwhile, 56 percent of those surveyed are in favor or more in favor of Switzerland quickly planning new nuclear power plants to secure power supplies.
Only: when it comes to payment, the respondents do not agree. 49 percent think the state should help nuclear power plant operators if the operation is no longer profitable. 51 percent are against.
Interestingly, 18 to 35-year-olds are the most opposed to closing the four nuclear power plants. For 60 percent of them, unplugging will be out of the question by 2037. Resistance is also high among the over-55s. The intermediate age group, on the other hand, is somewhat more skeptical about nuclear energy. This is evident from the answers to a number of questions.
Solar systems on buildings are well received
There is a high degree of public approval for the requirement of solar panels for new commercial and public buildings. 60 percent are clearly in favour, 17 percent are more in favour. Only every fifth person doesn’t want to know anything or rather nothing about it. Voters in French-speaking Switzerland are clearly in favour: they support the project with 92 percent. In German-speaking Switzerland, the approval is 72 percent.
If the voters have their way, solar systems should also be installed in residential buildings in the future. Here, however, the approval is less clear than for new commercial and public buildings. 69 percent are somewhat or clearly in favor of it. Here too, the Röstigraben stands out: with 87 to 63 percent, the Italians are much more in favor of it than the German-speaking Swiss.
Two-thirds of those surveyed also support the expansion of hydropower in the Alps through major projects. Only 12 percent don’t think it’s a good idea. It doesn’t matter which party you belong to: the approval rate is over 50 percent in all political camps. One of these projects concerns the raising of the sheet pile wall at Grimselsee by 23 metres. This should almost double the capacity.
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
