Nuclear energy is necessary, says head of Swiss water agency
The incoming president of the Swiss Water Management Association (SWMA) is in favour of full liberalisation of the Swiss electricity market. She also maintains that an electricity mix without nuclear power is no longer possible.
“My ideal would be a good electricity mix without nuclear power, but I don’t really believe in that any more,” said Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher in an interview published on Sunday by the NZZ am Sonntag. The parliamentarian is therefore not closing the door on new nuclear power stations, but only wants “new generation” ones.
However, she continues to believe in the development of hydroelectric power. “The first step is to increase the height of existing dams. To do this, we need to reach an agreement with the environmental organisations so that we don’t hold each other back”.
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New dams
The parliamentarian, who has been proposed as president of the SWMA following Albert Rösti’s departure to the Federal Council, believes that small nature conservation associations should not have the same weight in appeals as organisations with broad support. Otherwise, a “mini-association” can “throw a spanner in the works”, whereas a solution has been found with the large associations.
Vincenz-Stauffacher also advocates not systematically protecting areas upstream of glaciers, where new hydraulic dams could be built. “Not all areas lend themselves to this in the same way, but there are several where new structures would make sense”.
She also recommends reducing the residual flows of rivers for a limited period of time, if this measure proves necessary for the security of Switzerland’s electricity supply.
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