Parliament gives the green light to 15 hydropower projects

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Parliament wants to increase renewable energy production by 6 terawatt hours by 2040 to strengthen security of supply in winter. The 15 hydropower projects on the table were undisputed in the National Council on Tuesday.

The procedures must be accelerated so that they can be carried out as quickly as possible. A planning obligation should only apply to projects at a new location, and even then this obligation is limited to the structure plan. The interest in realization always takes precedence over other interests of national interest.

The environmental organizations also agree because a weighing of interests remains possible. Additional compensatory measures will also be planned to protect the landscape and biodiversity.

The National Council rejected the idea that in the case of solar and wind energy installations, a need, location-related and weighty interest in the national interest should also be confirmed. From the point of view of Kurt Fluri (FDP/SO), this proposal would limit municipal autonomy and be constitutionally sensitive. His proposal to delete this article was adopted by a majority of 97 votes in favour, 89 against and 7 abstentions.

Like the Council of States, the National Council unanimously decided to create a legal basis for the energy reserve. However, the operators of larger hydropower plants with storage should now be required to participate in the energy reserve.

Another topic during the deliberations on the so-called energy mantle decree was the full liberalization of the electricity market. As in the Council of States, this is no longer a subject in the National Council. This means that only end users who purchase more than 100 megawatt hours per year have access to the free market.

Only the FDP spoke out in favor of further opening of the electricity market, as proposed by the Bundesrat. The other groups argued that the energy crisis of the past few months in particular had shown that the basic provision, especially in the event of strong price fluctuations, offers security and meets a strong need.

In the future, according to a decision of the National Council, energy suppliers will be obliged to protect themselves against extreme market price fluctuations in the basic supply, in particular through long-term purchasing contracts. In addition, the average price method is abolished in the calculation of electricity tariffs, as the Grand Chamber has tacitly decided.

(SDA)

Source:Blick