Swiss electricity getting cleaner, says energy report
The electricity consumed in Switzerland is ever greener, according to government statistics: some 62% comes from renewable sources, while nuclear has fallen to 17%.
This content was published on
2 minutes
ATS-SDA/dos
العربية
ar
الطاقات المتجددة تصبح المصدر الرئيسي للكهرباء المستهلك
The figures (in French/German)External link were released on Monday by the Federal Office of Energy, which gathers each year the sources used by electricity providers in Switzerland. The latest report refers to 2016.
As expected, hydropower is the biggest source of juice, at 56%. This marks an increase of 2.5 percentage points on the previous year. Other renewables – solar, wind, biomass and small-scale hydropower – made up 5.9%, a one-point increase on 2015.
Taken together, this means that just over three-fifths of electricity provided in the country in 2016 came from renewable sources, a figure helped by the slight decline in the use of nuclear, which fell from 20.7% to 17%.
External Content
Another 20% comes from unverified sources, which the energy office explains as energy used by high-consuming businesses which is often bought on the European market and not traced within Switzerland. Much of it may be fossil fuel burning.
Overall the figures tie in closely with the government’s Energy Strategy 2050External link, a sweeping plan endorsed by voters last year that aims to completely phase out nuclear by the mid-point of the century, as well as promote renewable sources and reduce consumption.
The electricity consumption figures should not be confused with those for overall energy produced, which (for reasons of import and export) are different: overall, 59% of the production total is hydropower, 33% remains nuclear, 5% other renewable, and 3% fossil fuels.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
Go to war or stay put? Ukrainian men in Switzerland face fresh dilemmas
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
This content was published on
A hacker attack has paralysed the OneLog connection platform, compromising the ability of people to access many Swiss media titles.
Ex-Swiss rail catering boss handed three year jail term for fraud
This content was published on
Former head of Elvetino, the catering unit of Swiss Federal Railways, has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for fraud.
Climeworks signs contract with Morgan Stanley to remove CO2
This content was published on
Climeworks, the specialist in the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) has signed a contract with banking giant Morgan Stanley.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland ranks high on effective energy, lags on emission targets
This content was published on
Switzerland's energy system is one of the best in the world, but it is not doing so well on emission reduction targets, says a new report.
This content was published on
Reactor block 1 at Beznau nuclear power plant can restart after a three-year shutdown for repairs, the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate said on Tuesday.
Swiss give green light for renewables and nuclear phase out
This content was published on
Voters have approved a new energy law that aims to promote renewable energy, ban new nuclear power plants and lower energy consumption.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.