Concerns about energy security are currently occupying politics and society. For the President of the Electricity Commission, Werner Luginbühl, a crisis is almost inevitable.
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The high energy prices alone posed problems for companies, said Luginbühl in the Saturday broadcast of Radio SRF.
Keystone/Peter Schneider (June 29, 2022)
Added to this is the uncertain outlook for electricity and gas supply. “The situation has worsened since the beginning of June. We see no relaxation in any area. Overall, you have to say that the risk has not decreased that we will have problems next winter.”
A crisis can hardly be avoided. How deep it will be depends on many factors.
Only the high energy prices would show that the market is expecting a tense situation in winter. “In this respect, a crisis can hardly be avoided. How deep it will be depends on many factors and we have to use the time to do everything we can to ensure that this crisis does not become too serious,” said Luginbühl.
Controversial measures not excluded
Around a tenth of the electricity requirement in Switzerland is imported – if this import were omitted, Switzerland would have to cover this gap in other ways – i.e. save energy and produce more.
The Electricity Commission has now presented benchmark figures for a hydropower reserve. Switzerland should be able to produce additional electricity towards the end of winter if too little energy could then be imported. In order to avoid a bottleneck as much as possible, Luginbühl is also considering controversial measures.
He thinks that the amount of residual water should also be discussed: “The option of reducing residual water for a certain period of time would be one way of increasing electricity production during this phase.
Environmental protection under pressure
Before the residual water volume would be reduced, many other measures would have to be taken first, counters ProNatura President and SP National Councilor Ursula Schneider Schüttel.
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The ProNatura President observes that concerns about the energy supply are putting increasing pressure on environmental protection. This is also reflected in another point.
Keystone/Anthony Anex (March 23, 2020)
She says: “The rivers have already had little water this summer. The floors are dry. The groundwater has dropped in many places. That has to be fed again. Among other things, also because of the amounts of water that still come down, at least in winter.”
The rivers have already had little water this summer. The floors are dry. The groundwater has dropped in many places.
Because so that Switzerland doesn’t have to ask itself the same questions in a year’s time as it is now – the former Bernese Council of States Luginbühl wants to think ahead: “I think it would be important to examine very specific measures at home with regard to the winter after next and implemented in accelerated procedures. For example, a large photovoltaic system in the mountains.”
Panels yes, but not in pristine landscapes
There is already resistance from nature and landscape protection organizations. Mountain Wilderness, for example, sees the potential for photovoltaics in the mountains, but wants the panels to be in built-up areas rather than pristine landscapes.
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“It takes a clean balancing of interests and the protection of the landscape is an extremely important value,” says Sebastian Moos of Mountain Wilderness
Keystone/Gabriel Monnet (13 Aug 2022)
Sebastian Moos from Mountain Wilderness warns: “We must finally stop playing landscape protection, sustainable energy production, biodiversity conservation and climate protection against each other. It has to go hand in hand.”
We must finally stop playing landscape protection, sustainable energy production, biodiversity conservation and climate protection against each other. It has to go hand in hand.
In addition to these political and economic considerations, social and personal considerations are likely to come back into focus next week: careful use of energy and doing without.