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Community participation and landscape protection: These points lead to discussions regarding the Electricity Supply Act.
On June 9th, Switzerland will decide on the new electricity supply law, which is intended to accelerate the expansion of renewable energies in Switzerland. The bill is supported by all parties except the SVP, and business and environmental associations as well as electricity producers also support the law. Smaller nature and landscape protection associations took part in the referendum. Both sides discuss the most important arguments in the “Club” with moderator Peter Düggeli.
According to the law, electricity production in so-called “suitable areas” should now be given greater weight compared to nature conservation. “This reduces the population’s right to have a say,” criticizes Elias Vogt, who describes the electricity supply law as “destructive to nature and anti-democratic”. “The national interest was previously sacrosanct, and now it is being undermined by a mishmash of laws,” says energy engineer Heini Glauser.
The law is defended by two energy politicians: “But that doesn’t mean that individual projects cannot be questioned with existing democratic rights,” counters FDP National Councilor Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher. “There is still the opportunity to submit complaints. The balancing of interests between nature conservation and electricity production will continue,” agrees Lisa Mazzone.
Resistance to wind turbines
The expansion of wind energy, which is provided for in the Electricity Supply Act, is encountering great resistance. “Switzerland is not a wind country,” says SVP National Councilor Matter and gives an example from Zurich: “On the Pfannenstiel, tens of square kilometers of forest are being cleared for wind turbines, and there is also a nature reserve there. That’s not sustainable.”
The example from Zurich is regulated cantonally, counters FDP National Councilor Vincenz-Stauffacher. According to national law, construction cannot be carried out in nature reserves, says Green Party President Lisa Mazzone, adding: “This is progress because we are protecting nature better than in the current state.”
Exchange of blows between Matter and Mazzone
Landscape conservationist Elias Vogt fears that significantly more wind turbines could be built than announced. Federal Councilor Albert Rösti (SVP), who represents the proposal, is currently talking about 200 new wind turbines. “But that’s not in the law, those are empty promises,” says Vogt.
Nils Epprecht from the Swiss Energy Foundation (SES) points out that various studies have estimated 200 to 300 new wind turbines.
Disagreement on nature conservation
Ultimately, the two sides disagree as to whether the Electricity Supply Act represents progress for biodiversity or not: “Glacier forefields that were recently under ice can no longer be protected. Some of these areas have incredibly dynamic biodiversity. Building there is a disaster for nature conservation,” says energy engineer Heini Glauser.
“We have fought major conflicts in the National Council in order to preserve nature conservation. Nature conservation remains with the law,” asserts Green Party President Mazzone.
Whether that’s enough for conservationists will be shown at the ballot box.