The Issue
Not all interest in new nuclear is equal. As multiple countries and regions dismantle legal barriers to deploying nuclear power, a wide spectrum is emerging between governments that no longer want to take away the option of new nuclear and those that want to incentivize and subsidize new nuclear. For the moment, Switzerland is landing in the former category, with its legacy nuclear operators firmly focused on extending the life of their existing reactors rather than contemplating newbuilds.
Technology Neutrality — Not Nuclear Relaunch
Switzerland’s Federal Council decision last month to proceed with amending the country’s Nuclear Energy Act to allow the licensing of new domestic nuclear plants is aimed at shaping Swiss energy policy in "a technology-neutral manner, including nuclear energy, and thus ensure electricity supply,” the council said when it announced the policy shift on Aug. 13. “This would cover the eventuality of insufficient development of renewable energies, incomplete seasonal electricity storage and a lack of alternatives for climate-friendly electricity generation.” However, the council underlined that the upcoming amendment “does not consist of a decision to build new nuclear power plants, since there are currently no concrete construction plans. It is therefore not a matter of addressing financing, project-specific issues or adjustments to the permitting procedure.”
