Bern – Large solar plants on open space can be approved more easily from April 1. You can expect a one-time payment of up to 60 percent of the investment costs. The plants must already be supplying electricity by the end of 2025 and be fully operational by the end of 2030.
On March 17, the Federal Council made several changes to ordinances in the energy sector. According to a statement, these implement the urgent measures for the short-term provision of a secure power supply in winter, which were decided by parliament in 2022.
The amendments facilitate the approval of large photovoltaic systems. The building permit itself is issued by the canton and must also contain conditions for deconstruction. The site municipality and the landowner must have given their consent. The federal government, in turn, approves the electrical development.
The large-scale plants can receive a one-time payment of up to 60 percent of the eligible investment costs. To do so, they must have fed in at least 10 percent of the plant’s expected production, or 10 gigawatt hours, by the end of 2025. The entire plant must be connected to the grid by the end of 2030.
The easements will apply until these new large-scale plants generate a total of 2 terawatt-hours of electricity. The facilities may not be erected on crop rotation areas. stk
