Swiss cautiously satisfied about energy supply outlook

A dammed mountain reservoir in canton Ticino, southern Switzerland. © Keystone / Christian Beutler

While energy goals for winter 2022-2023 were met, the coming years will require similar efforts to ensure security of supply, officials have said.

Government campaigns to save on gas and electricity over the winter, spurred by the war in Ukraine and shaky European supply, were largely successful, Energy Minister Albert Rösti said on Thursday.

Rösti was speaking alongside Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and various regional and sectoral representatives about energy-saving efforts over the past months.

+ Read more: Swiss to vote on climate and energy transition in June

Between October 2022 and March 2023, Switzerland overshot its goal of cutting down on gas by 15%, while electricity savings reached 1,250 gigawatt hours – the equivalent of the annual usage of canton Basel City.

Emergency reserves set up by government last year thus did not have to be called on, Rösti said.

He praised public services, businesses, and private households for the efforts made, and said that almost 60% of firms using dual-fuel installations had followed a call to switch from gas to oil as part of the savings drive.

Challenges to come

That said, the electricity savings came to only 40% of the goal set by authorities in their campaign launched in August 2022.

And with the past winter turning out to be a mild one, further difficulties in the coming years can’t be ruled out, Rösti said. Switzerland “would have to continue saving” to avoid shortages in the future.

He warned that a comparative lack of snowfall over the winter months also means Alpine reservoirs may be less full for the production of hydropower in the coming summer.

Growing demand for liquid natural gas in Asia – notably China – could further dent European capacities, while the recent German shut-down of its remaining nuclear plants may tighten European supply, Rösti said.