Left-green incomprehension over Federal Council decision on new nuclear power plants
Published: Wednesday, Aug 28th 2024, 18:20
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Shaking heads and rejection are the reactions on the left and green spectrum to the Federal Council's decision on new nuclear power plants. The President of the Centre Party criticizes it, while the FDP and the nuclear lobby welcome it. However, the electricity suppliers warn that new nuclear power plants would not be economical.
The Swiss Greens and the GLP reacted with indignation to the Federal Council's decision. They accuse the national government of disregarding the will of the people. A forward-looking energy policy is based on renewable energies and energy efficiency, Bernese Green National Councillor Aline Trede was quoted as saying in a party press release.
In May 2017, 58% of the population voted in favor of the gradual nuclear phase-out, the GLP recalled. And only in June of this year, with a 69% 'yes' vote, they had clearly voted in favor of relying entirely on renewable energy. The environmental organization Greenpeace spoke of a "wrong track" that the Federal Council was on in the online portal X.
For the Swiss Energy Foundation (SES), the Federal Council is sabotaging the energy transition. "The intended counter-proposal, which aims to remove the ban on new nuclear power plant construction from the law, is in sharp contrast to the will of the Swiss people," wrote the SES.
The SP also clearly opposes the Federal Council's decision to build new nuclear power plants. It calls it an "irresponsible step backwards" that blocks the expansion of renewable energies.
Energy Minister Albert Rösti wants to overturn the ban on nuclear power plants with his counter-proposal to the blackout initiative, according to a press release from the SP Switzerland. New nuclear power plants would also come too late, be extremely expensive, pose a major safety risk, leave behind radioactive waste and make Switzerland dependent on other countries.
Center-President: Party base against
Center Party President Gerhard Pfister also criticized the Federal Council's decision. He complains that the state government apparently no longer wants to accept the rejection of the referendum. And the electricity companies have already ruled out investing in new nuclear power plants. The attitude of the party base towards the construction of new nuclear power plants is still clearly negative.
New nuclear power plants are not profitable, Pfister said in an interview with the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper on Wednesday. However, if nuclear power plants are to be financed with state subsidies, then we need to discuss how much it costs and where the money comes from. Taking it out of the pot for renewable energies, as demanded by some conservative politicians, is "absolutely out of the question" for him.
FDP: Sensible decision
In contrast, the Bernese FDP National Councillor Christian Wasserfallen speaks of a "sensible decision" on the online portal X. Beyond 2050, Switzerland will need a climate-friendly and secure power supply all year round. The "right mix" is what makes the difference.
The Swiss Nuclear Forum welcomes the Federal Council's decision on the construction of nuclear power plants. The lifting of the ban on new construction in Switzerland would mark an important step towards a secure and climate-friendly electricity supply, it argues. However, this step alone is not enough.
New nuclear power plants not profitable
In their statements, the electricity suppliers BKW and Axpo emphasize their fundamental openness to technology, but point out that new nuclear power plants would not be economical.
New nuclear power plants of the existing generation would only be built where the state was either building directly itself or where the plants received a high level of state funding. And the very high investments would only be profitable if electricity prices remained high in the long term. However, this cannot be assumed regardless of the political framework conditions, according to a press release.
However, if society wants to achieve climate targets in the future, guarantee security of supply and give top priority to an unspoiled landscape, new nuclear power plants could play a role as part of the solution.
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