Alpine nimbyism confuses Swiss green dreams

Along the foothills of the Swiss Alps, where even in mid-June it is snowy, workers are placing panels in front of Europe’s largest dam.

Switzerland has long been known for its clean energy: with the help of many hydropower, at least 10% of the electricity it produces produces greenhouse gases. Today, however, Swiss’s straightforward approach and the same criticism of those in charge mean that new green projects such as Muttsee’s reservoir are different.

As a result, one of the richest and most conscientious countries in the world is at risk of relapse. Switzerland also wants to rely on foreign power, as it faces growing risks that could leave the EU’s power grid due to Serious clashes between states and Brussels.

The government is committed to shutting down three nuclear weapons in the country over the next ten years. When this happens, Switzerland will lose one third of its existing electricity supply, and no one knows how this shortcoming will be met.

“The idea for the project was to try to show the possibilities,” said Christian Heierli, project manager for the Axpo power company at Muttsee AlpinSolar project.

Axpo expects that the building, built with 320 tons of helicopter-powered equipment up to 2,500 meters above sea level, will showcase the potential of the sun in Switzerland.

“There are so many [renewable] work in Switzerland, “said Heierli.” Obtaining permits for the construction of solar and wind farms was difficult, he added. “With the exception of people who install PVs on the roofs of their houses, there is not much going on.”

Bern realizes that she has a problem. Last year, Switzerland released only 311kWh of electricity for all citizens from solar and wind power, according to the Swiss Energy Foundation, a renewable energy tank. In comparison, Denmark produced 3027kWh, Germany 2232kWh and UK 1304kWh.

The potential for new technologies, which account for 58 percent of production, is limited by the existing additions that only increase output and fewer, experts warn.

Meanwhile, Switzerland last month denied the lengthy negotiations and Brussels on a new bilateral agreement.

As a result, last Thursday, the first agreement between the laws imposed on Switzerland and the EU electricity market ended. While there is little chance of Switzerland being removed from the EU grid once an agreement with Brussels is reached, the country is spending a lot of money and uncertainties.

This can be particularly daunting since the power generation in Switzerland is unpredictable: in the winter months, when the rivers are cold, they rely on imported electricity to meet demand.

“We do not know how the exchange will work with the EU in five or ten years,” said Christian Schaffner, director of the energy science center at ETH Zurich and former head of the Swiss federal department. “It’s very uncertain.”

Increasing home-generated energy, renewable energy can help. Both the sun and the wind work well in winter, thanks to parts of Switzerland. For example, in the Axpo Muttsee project, solar panels will generate 50 percent more electricity per meter than the valley below. Cold temperatures improve performance, snow also reflects the panels and the space is usually located above the cloud. Such items are common on many potential sites.

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The country has the potential – in the sun perhaps – to become a European leader. But without a framework, the potential for new projects is limited.

“Operating systems need to be radically modified to increase capacity,” said Guido Lichtensteiger, a spokesman for Alpiq, one of Switzerland’s largest companies.

Last month, Bern unveiled a package of laws that he wants to change to launch more jobs. For many, the advice was focused on the problem and did nothing to address the crisis in the country, which was deeply rooted in Swiss politics.

The construction of a new electric house requires permission from Bern’s environmental and energy management agencies, and then the same from the existing canton state.

Permission to arrest civilians is also required. As is the case with construction in Switzerland, one person may object. Litigation lasts for years and is sometimes severely beaten up in the Supreme Court.

In October, turbines finally began to light up Windpark Gotthardpass, one of Switzerland’s largest projects that could be rebuilt. But it took 18 years of negotiations to happen.

In the 2017 national referendum approving 2050 energy goals, Swiss voters strongly endorsed the building plans. Bern’s plans are to build more than 850 wind turbines in the country in the next 30 years. Currently there are 37.

But so far little has been accomplished. Four power stations in Kulmerau-Kirchleerau were recently evacuated from the village after rejecting the request.

“Wealthy Switzerland is a stronghold of opposition that is often described as a state of affairs,” wrote NZZ’s Zurich newspaper.

“Many people [awareness] none, ”added Schaffner of ETH about the differences between Swiss aid at the international level and the realities of the new construction.

“[It] it’s fun when you think about it. . . that we built all these dams in the Alps years ago, but now we don’t want to. You need to talk to a behavioral scientist to understand why this is so. ”