By seeking an electricity agreement with the EU, Switzerland aims to enhance grid integration, support cross-border renewable energy flows, and safeguard security of supply as nuclear power is phased down. However, will this, together with the expansion of domestic renewables, and more energy efficiency, result in a successful energy transition?
When Swiss voters approved the
Energy Strategy 2050 in 2017, the roadmap appeared straightforward: expand renewables, improve efficiency, and phase out nuclear power. But what is the reality? In April 2024, the
European Court of Human Rights ruled that Switzerland is not doing enough to combat climate change. However, the question is not so much whether the country is doing
enough, but rather whether it is taking the
right measures.
More than two-thirds of primary energy is imported
In 2022, Switzerland consumed around 765,000 terajoules (TJ) of primary energy for electricity and heat. Of this, 70 percent was imported.