Why nuclear power is back on the agenda

The Swiss people voted in 2017 to phase out nuclear power plants, accepting the Federal Council's 2050 energy strategy. But in five years, much has changed...

Federal Councilor Guy Parmelin, then President of the Swiss Confederation, explained last October that a risk of electricity shortages was possible in the medium term, based on two reports prepared by the Federal Electricity Commission and Swissgrid. This refers to the risk of the well-known blackout, which would obviously be a socio-economic disaster. Such a public statement from a member of the government was unprecedented.

Energy Sovereignty and Technological Development

The issue of energy independence has also become increasingly important in recent months and years. This is because the Federal Council’s decision to abandon the institutional agreement with the European Union (EU) at the end of May last year effectively put an end to the prospect of concluding an energy treaty with the EU. Furthermore, renewable energy sources—mandated by the 2017 law—are and will remain insufficient to guarantee energy independence. Finally, the war in Ukraine raises the issue of energy sovereignty more starkly than ever before. The situation is such that if Europe did not depend on Russian gas, Vladimir Putin would likely be unable to finance his war.

And then, in a less visible way, scientists continue to work on making nuclear fusion technology «scalable» and viable—the reaction itself is already well understood (See our interview with an expert in the field). The gradual transition from fission to nuclear fusion would not only revitalize but also revolutionize the use of nuclear energy. Fusion is nothing more than the reproduction of the most energy-rich physical process that exists: the thermonuclear reactions occurring in stars that are not at the end of their lifespans, where four hydrogen atoms fuse to form a single helium atom. Furthermore, this technology would make it possible to reuse radioactive waste—one of the most contentious issues with current power plants.

The Return of Political Debate

On the political front, it was the right wing in Switzerland that reignited the debate. First, Erich Hess, a National Council member from Bern representing the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) and a member of the Committee on the Environment, Spatial Planning, and Energy, tabled a motion on June 18 calling for the lifting of the ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants. He explained to the press that he did not want Switzerland to abandon its Energy Strategy 2050, which had been approved by the public, but only the section on nuclear power—one section among many in the text. In February of this year, PLR delegates, meeting in assembly, unanimously adopted a resolution that leaves open the possibility for Switzerland to build new power plants, but only as a last resort.

Debates on energy extend far beyond this single field; they touch on concepts such as sovereignty, technological progress, security, sustainability, and foresight. That’s one of the reasons these discussions are so fascinating. And when a taboo is broken, it’s an opportunity to lay everything out on the table. Enjoy reading our June issue!

Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com

Image: Gösgen Nuclear Power Plant, in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland © Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0

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