Swiss sector lobby calls for domestic hydro support in revised Energy Act

摘要

Switzerland's revised Energy Act must create a framework that supports the renewal of existing hydro assets with a focus on reliable winter production as well as new renewables, the Association of Swiss Electricity Companies (VSE) said July 6. The association was responding to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy's three-month consultation on revisions to the Energy Act, which ends July 12. The introduction of renewable capacity auctions should not be limited to large photovoltaic systems, the VSE said. If sufficient projects were available, tenders for hydropower and other technologies should also be held, it said. In a separate submission July 3, the canton of Graubunden, a main source of Swiss hydropower, said the preservation of existing hydro assets should take priority over new capacity.