Bern – The International Energy Agency (IEA) is calling on Switzerland to accelerate the transformation of its energy system. To this end, the IEA is encouraging faster procedures for approving renewable production facilities. An electricity agreement with the EU is also recommended.
“The International Energy Agency(IEA) sees Switzerland’s energy policy on a good, but too slow path,” writes the Swiss Federal Office of Energy in a statement on the latest IEA report. In the report, the IEA highlights Switzerland’s rapidly implemented measures in response to the global energy crisis as positive. The federal law on a secure supply of electricity from renewable energies, which is currently pending in parliament, has also been approved by the IEA, as have the initiatives adopted by parliament to accelerate the construction of solar power plants in the Alps and wind power plants that are at an advanced stage of the approval process.
The IEA sees a need for action with regard to the pace of implementation of energy and climate policy measures. Three bottlenecks should be addressed here, the agency recommends. The communication cites the shortage of skilled workers in the renewable energy sector, slow approval processes for renewable energy production facilities, and disruptions in international supply chains for components and equipment as such. In addition, the federal government and cantons should act as role models, for example by renovating administrative buildings to make them more energy-efficient.
To secure the electricity supply, the IEA advises Switzerland to conclude an electricity agreement with the EU. To achieve this, Switzerland would have to align its electricity market regulations with those of the EU. At a later stage, an agreement on gas and hydrogen could also be considered. To this end, he said, the federal government should develop national strategies for hydrogen, e-fuels and other renewable gases. ce/hs
