The International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned Switzerland that its twin policies of cutting greenhouse gases and phasing out nuclear power will be a tough challenge.
The Paris-based agency has published a review of Switzerland’s energy policies and has praised its electricity market reforms and high levels of oil and gas security. However, it has raised concerns over the stabilisation of electricity supplies.
“The transition to a low-carbon economy is not for free,” said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven. “In the absence of nuclear power, maintaining sufficient electricity capacity will require strong policies to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy.
“The government has already proposed measures, but they will likely not be enough.”
Van der Hoeven added that Switzerland needs to develop the legal and regulatory framework at the core of its energy strategy to 2050 in order to provide stability and certainty for market participants. The IEA report highlights the deregulation of end-user electricity prices and efficiency in the transport and space heating sectors as areas for priority action.
Switzerland’s extensive cross-border interconnections and its large hydropower capacity mean that it could act as a ‘battery’ for the wider region, and it should take an increasingly European approach to developing its electricity infrastructure, says the IEA.
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