Parliament wants to speed up construction of large power plants for renewables
The federal parliament has passed the so-called acceleration decree with a large majority. This is intended to facilitate the construction of large hydro, wind and solar power plants.
The federal parliament has clearly approved the so-called acceleration decree in the final vote. According to a statement, 185 members of the National Council voted in favour, two against and nine abstained. In the Council of States, 44 members voted in favour of the decree, with no votes against or abstentions.
The decree was proposed by the Federal Council in 2023. It is intended to speed up the construction of large power plants for renewable energies. The appeal process is to be shortened, thus limiting the possibilities for objections and appeals. The cantons are to concentrate the planning approval process for the construction of solar and wind power plants of national interest at cantonal level. The planning process for the expansion of electricity grids is to be shortened.
The Association of Swiss Electricity Companies(VSE) welcomes the adoption of the acceleration decree. “The focussed cantonal procedure and the reduced number of instances are important levers on the path to a renewable energy supply,” said VSE Director Michael Frank in a press release. “For electricity producers, the compromise means more planning security and speed – exactly what we need now.”
swisscleantech regrets that the debate had focussed for too long on the attempt to abolish the right of appeal for associations. According to the energy transition association, the abolition of the right of appeal for 16 hydropower projects has led to a great deal of uncertainty. The bottom line, however, is that more speed in the expansion of renewables is what counts, it wrote in a press release.