Energy security priority for Swiss minister

Swiss energy minister Albert Rösti says a secure energy supply for Switzerland is a strategic objective for the country. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox It will take more than the simple implementation of a federal law to achieve this, Rösti said. Despite the clear approval of the Electricity Act by the Swiss electorate in June 2024, the energy minister considers the situation in this area to be "unsatisfactory". + Switzerland needs energy, but what kind? Renewable energies - hydroelectric plants, alpine solar plants and wind farms - are progressing "too slowly" in his view. "Virtually all these installations are blocked", he said. "There are too few facilities in Switzerland that produce electricity in winter," he added. Rösti underlined the importance of a bill to speed up procedures. Among other things, it will shorten the authorisation and appeal procedures for large-scale facilities and simplify the planning process for extending the electricity grid.