Energy company bosses give Federal Councillor Rösti a good report card
Published: Wednesday, Jan 17th 2024, 18:41
Back to Live Feed
The heads of the three largest Swiss energy companies have given Federal Councillor Albert Rösti a good report card. Axpo CEO Christoph Brand, Alpiq CEO Antje Kanngiesser and BKW CEO Robert Itschner praised the work of the head of DETEC at an industry event in Bern on Wednesday.
Since Federal Councillor Rösti took office, he has had "a good dialog", said Kanngiesser from Alpiq at a panel discussion at the Swiss Electricity Congress on Wednesday. There was a good constructive exchange. "I can only say: keep up the good work."
"I have no demands of Federal Councillor Rösti," said BKW CEO Itschner in response to a corresponding question. He was basically of the same opinion with regard to the energy transition: "We have to do it now."
It is not the time for "fundamentalist discussions" about the optimal technology for electricity production that will be used in 2050 or 2060. Instead, the things that can be implemented now must be implemented. "I think that's a good and positive message from him - he's been saying that from day one."
"A wish for the politicians"
Axpo CEO Brand said that he could agree with this 100 percent. However, he has one wish for politicians in general: more honesty and transparency in the social discussion about the compromises that need to be made in order to implement energy projects.
For example, he criticized statements such as: "We have so much hydropower in canton X, we never have a supply problem." In reality, however, there is no cantonal security of supply, Brand emphasized. With such statements, however, politicians are potentially taking many people out of the solidarity that is needed. All technologies are needed and something has to be done everywhere to drive forward the energy transition.
Bernese Federal Councillor Rösti (SVP) will speak to the sector at the Electricity Congress on Thursday (tomorrow). He has been Head of the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) since the beginning of 2023. He succeeds Simonetta Sommaruga (SP).
The Swiss Electricity Congress is an annual meeting of the industry with representatives from companies, politics and science. It is organized by the VSE and Electrosuisse (Association for Electrical, Energy and Information Technology).
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic