Swiss voters will have their
say this Sunday (May 21st) on the government’s ‘energy strategy
2050’.
Spearheaded by Swiss
president and energy minister Doris Leuthard and drawn up partly in reaction to
the 2011 nuclear reactor disaster in Fukushima, Japan, the energy strategy 2050
aims to gradually withdraw Switzerland from nuclear power and increase its use
of renewable energy sources.
Under the plans no new
nuclear power plants will be built in Switzerland and the five that do exist –
including the world's oldest operating reactor, Beznau I – will be
decommissioned at the end of their technically safe operating life.
The strategy will focus on
exploiting hydropower and other renewable resources such as wind and solar
power, as well as increasing energy efficiency by offering tax incentives for
energy-efficient building works and tightening emissions rules for passenger
vehicles.
These measures require changes
to the existing energy law and the first set were approved by the Swiss
parliament last September.
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