Ticino shows the way to a modern power supply
A showcase project for the future of electricity supply is being developed in Ticino. A general study by the canton, Swissgrid, AET and SBB shows how security of supply, landscape protection and urban development can be combined. The innovative approach makes it possible to dismantle 140 kilometres of power lines and should also set a precedent in other cantons in the future.
The European energy system is facing the biggest transformation in its history. Transport, industry and buildings are being electrified, electricity demand is increasing massively and production is becoming more decentralised and volatile. For Switzerland, this means fundamentally adapting its grids. In Ticino, the course was set early on. As early as 2013, the canton brought together the major players, Swissgrid, Azienda Elettrica Ticinese (AET) and SBB, to think about electricity grids and spatial planning together.
The analysis clearly showed that the infrastructure created in the 1950s was inefficient. Each institution had built its own lines without taking into account the overall view or the landscape. The result is a patchwork of routes through sensitive areas. Today, joint planning makes it possible to bundle several lines on one route, resulting in 140 kilometres becoming superfluous.
Projects with national appeal
At the heart of the realisation are three major projects, Airolo – Lavorgo in the Leventina, All’Acqua – Vallemaggia – Magadino and Lavorgo – Magadino in the Riviera and Piano di Magadino. They form the backbone for a secure supply for future generations. At the same time, they create the conditions for the dismantling of old lines, which significantly relieves the landscape.
Lengthy procedures act as a brake
The construction of new high-voltage lines in Switzerland often takes more than 15 years. However, close consultation in Ticino has made it possible to develop trust, coordination and joint proposals to speed up federal procedures. Municipalities and the population are actively involved in order to achieve broad-based solutions.
Balancing landscape protection and security of supply
Ticino combines sensitive habitats, historic villages and landscapes with lakes and mountains that are important for tourism. The balancing act between security of supply and landscape protection has been mastered here in an exemplary manner. Instead of unilaterally planning power lines, the territory is viewed as an overall system. An approach that increases acceptance and reduces conflicts.
Federal Council wants to expand the model
The innovative process has not gone unnoticed. The Federal Council has recognised the advantages and proposed extending the Ticino model to other cantons in a bill. This could turn a regional pioneering achievement into a national model of success, with a signalling effect for the entire energy transition.
Ticino shows how the modernisation of critical infrastructures can succeed in a way that is technically efficient, compatible with the landscape and politically acceptable to the majority. The dismantling of 140 kilometres of power lines is only the most visible success. The decisive factor is a new way of thinking that strengthens security of supply and quality of life in equal measure.