Councils still at odds over funding for energy research
Published: Tuesday, Sep 24th 2024, 09:30
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The Swiss parliament continues to disagree on the period and amount of state funding for energy research. On Tuesday, the Council of States once again voted in favor of the Federal Council's version, which had requested CHF 106.8 million for the funding instrument for the years 2025 to 2036.
A narrow majority of the Council of States' Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy (Urek-S) recommended to the Council in advance that the contribution for the Sweeter (Swiss Research for the Energy Tansition and Emissions Reduction) funding instrument be reduced to CHF 53.4 million for the years 2025 to 2032.
However, the small chamber insisted on the Federal Council's proposal and followed the committee minority by 31 votes to 13 with one abstention. The matter will return to the National Council.
Two weeks ago, the Grand Chamber voted in favor of allocating CHF 35.6 million to Sweeter for the years 2025 to 2028 only. After that, a decision on the continuation of the program was to be made as part of the dispatch on the promotion of education, research and innovation (ERI). The responsible committee in the National Council pointed out that the four-year cycle is also the rule in other areas of science funding.
The majority of the small chamber disagreed. "A four-year period is too short in the field of energy research and offers no legal certainty for the project sponsors," said Commission rapporteur Beat Rieder (center/VS) on Tuesday.
Sweeter should be used to find quick and targeted answers to urgent questions about securing supply and converting the energy system to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The planned funds should be compensated for in the upcoming ERI Dispatches. According to the Federal Council, implementation is budget-neutral.
©Keystone/SDA
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