Switzerland can no longer rely on the achievements of previous generations

Each month, we survey different sectors and professions on specific themes. For this October, the floor is given to energy suppliers regarding Switzerland's energy policy.

Responses from Mauro Salvadori, Head of Public Affairs at Alpiq.

Parliament and the Federal Council are focusing on increasing renewable energy in Switzerland, but shouldn't we rather encourage modernization of the grid as well as improving energy storage?

It's not one or the other. For the energy transition to succeed, investment is needed in all three areas. Thus it is as much a matter of rapidly developing renewables, with an emphasis on additional winter production, as of investing in storage and grid infrastructure.

Isn't it shocking that the Confederation is considering throttling solar production because the grid is not sufficiently adapted to absorb all this energy?

The challenge is to integrate wind and solar power generation — both dependent on weather conditions — into the energy system and to maintain stable voltage on the grid. It is, as you mentioned, about preventing potential outages and storing the precious energy from wind and sun so that it is available when we need it, or else using it intelligently, for example by converting it into hydrogen.

As a producer and distributor, what are your expectations of the authorities to get out of this impasse?

The development of photovoltaic electricity production is very encouraging. At the same time, the need for solutions in the area of flexibility, an engine of the energy transition, is increasing — both on the transmission network and at the local and decentralized distribution network level.

By flexibility, we mean in particular, in terms of facilities, pumped-storage plants, batteries and hydrogen production. Reservoir lakes also provide valuable services in favor of the energy transition.

We must imperatively continue to develop our infrastructure and invest for future generations, as our grandparents did.

To strengthen supply security, a mix of grid-useful storage technologies is needed, as with production. One gigawatt (GW) of flexible storage allows integrating 10 GW of installed capacity from weather-dependent generation, which in turn corresponds to about 20 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity.

The day-ahead market schedules are based, among other things, on weather forecasts; deviations from these forecasts must be compensated for at all times in real time. Highly flexible facilities and open markets are necessary so that allocation is optimal and excess energy can be used optimally in the system.

In your experience, are the targets set by politicians regarding the energy transition always realistic, achievable or, on the contrary, still very hypothetical?

The energy transition remains possible and achievable. Fundamentally, social acceptance of the energy transition in Switzerland is decisive. That is why the clear YES of the population to the Electricity Act was an important signal! Citizens have shown their support for a secure electricity supply thanks to renewable and local energies.

The Electricity Act provides the instruments necessary to advance the transformation of our energy system, the project of a generation. It strengthens the development of renewables and the production of electricity in winter. The transformation of our energy system is a task that concerns us all; a secure electricity supply at affordable prices is the backbone of our economy and our society.

The way is now clear for the rapid implementation of the projects that will supply our country with energy. Alpiq's priority, in collaboration with its partners, is clearly the implementation of the projects of the "Hydropower Round Table" in which it participates. These are the Gornerli and Oberaletsch projects as well as the raising of the Emosson, Moiry and Sambuco dams.

We must imperatively continue to develop our infrastructure and invest for future generations, as our grandparents did.

Business must take responsibility and move forward. Switzerland cannot rely on the achievements of previous generations. We must imperatively continue to develop our infrastructure and invest for future generations, as our grandparents did. For that, courageous management decisions are also needed. We need a little more pioneering spirit and less short-term optimization of management.

To succeed, faster procedures are also needed and a greater societal awareness that if we want to reduce our carbon footprint, this will not be achieved without intervention in the landscape and nature. From this point of view as well, the clear "yes" to the Energy Act was a strong signal.

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