Swiss audit office questions planned reserve power plants
Thursday 5th November 2026 on 06:15 in
Switzerland
The Swiss Federal Audit Office has questioned the need for planned reserve power plants, adding to skepticism among lawmakers, SRF reported.
The government’s plans involve 2.3 billion francs in spending. The plants would supply electricity when shortages arise. One is already in Monthey, in Valais canton, and others are planned for Eiken and Stein in Aargau canton and Muttenz in Basel-Landschaft canton. The Federal Office of Energy estimates the cost would add about 10 francs per household.
The audit office says the plants would be unnecessary if Switzerland meets its targets for expanding renewable energy by 2035. But whether to insure against delays in that expansion is a political decision, said Beat Stamm, who leads the relevant department at the audit office.
If the government proceeds, the audit office says it could save 220 million francs by including existing emergency generators operated by hospitals and other organisations. Switzerland has more than 6,000 such generator sets, mostly diesel-powered. They could be linked virtually to produce electricity when needed, with their owners compensated.
National Council energy policy lawmakers have also urged the government to consider emergency generators and seek agreements with companies willing to reduce their electricity use during a shortage. The Council’s energy committee put off further discussion of how to finance the plants over the summer, citing the high costs.
Energy Minister Albert Rösti defended the plans, saying the plants were needed to secure supply if a nuclear power station was offline and Switzerland could not import electricity. He said renewable energy would not be sufficiently developed before 2035, and argued that emergency generators were not a suitable alternative because air pollution rules prevent them from running for long periods.
A decision on whether new plants will replace the reserve power station in Birr, in Aargau canton, is expected next year. The Federal Electricity Commission plans to publish a new report on electricity demand in the spring, after which lawmakers are expected to resume their discussion.