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Sustainability Strategies and the Problem of the Rebound Effect Read chapter Read first chapter

2018 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

Energy Transition in Switzerland

Author : Julia Hänni

Published in: Energy Law and Economics

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

Climate protection obligations and the current political decisions to opt out of nuclear energy programs are going to lead to fundamental changes in the energy sector. To prepare Switzerland for the intended transition, the Federal Council developed the Energy Strategy 2050. It is supposed to enable Switzerland to maintain a high standard of energy supply based on renewable energies while reducing energy-related environmental impact, in particular the adverse effects on climate. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the major legal instruments for the promotion of renewable energies currently in force. Furthermore, it outlines the new regulatory market incentives as envisaged under the Energy Strategy 2050.

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previous chapter Energy Transition Law and Economics
next chapter The Interplay Between Liberalization and Decarbonization in the European Internal Energy Market for Electricity
Footnotes
1
According to ProClim (Academy of Natural Sciencies)/IPCC Switzerland the average annual temperature in Switzerland has risen about twice as much as the global mean in the last 150 years (the rise in global mean temperature was about 0.85 °C, whereas the average temperature rise in Switzerland was about 1.8 °C); see https://​naturalsciences.​ch/​service/​publications/​81637-brennpunkt-klima-schweiz?​_​ga=​2.​218550937.​1270176362.​1494770701-490124639 [accessed 12 April 2017].
 
2
See the overview of the Energy Strategy 2050 from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE): http://​www.​bfe.​admin.​ch/​energiestrategie​2050/​index.​html?​lang=​en [accessed 12 April 2017].
 
3
Coal <1%, wood, district heat, industrial waste, other renewable energies.
 
4
Dispatch Energy Strategy (Swiss Federal Council 2013), 7573.
 
5
Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) 2016, http://​www.​bfe.​admin.​ch/​themen/​00526/​00530/​index.​html?​lang=​en [accessed 12 April 2017].
 
6
Other authors use the number of 33.5%, as nuclear plants were temporarily taken out of action for technical reasons; see Simona (2016), N. 4.
 
7
Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), 2016, pp. 32 et seq.
 
8
Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), 2016, pp. 32 et seq.
 
9
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the original text is available at: http://​unfccc.​int/​essential_​background/​convention/​items/​6036.​php [accessed 4 October 2017].
 
10
Kyoto Protocol, the original text is available at: http://​unfccc.​int/​kyoto_​protocol/​items/​2830.​php [accessed 4 October 2017].
 
11
Paris Agreement, the original text is available at: http://​unfccc.​int/​paris_​agreement/​items/​9485.​php [accessed 4 October 2017].
 
12
Federal Act on the Reduction of CO2 Emissions (CO2 Act; SR 641.71).
 
13
Article 1 CO2 Act.
 
14
Article 3(1) CO2 Act. The Federal Council may increase the reduction target to 40% to comply with international agreements; Article 3(2) CO2 Act. To achieve reduction targets of 50% until 2030, as the Federal Council plans for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, a total revision of the CO2 Act is necessary.
 
15
Article 29(1) CO2 Act; see also Rütsche (2017), p. V; Weber (2017), pp. 355 et seq.
 
16
Article 3(2) CO2 Act.
 
17
Article 12a(1) Ordinance on the Reduction of CO2 Emissions (CO2 Ordinance; SR 641.711).
 
18
Articles 25 and 31(1)(b) CO2 Act; Article 96(2)(b) and (c) CO2 Ordinance.
 
19
Article 15(1) CO2 Act.
 
20
Article 17 CO2 Act; Article 96(2)(a) CO2 Ordinance. See also Stumpf (2016), pp. 1 et seq.
 
21
See Weber (2016), p. 31.
 
22
New Article 12a of the Swiss Federal Act on Nuclear Energy (Kernenergiegesetz [KEG] from 21 March 2003; SR 732.1). There is, however, no time limit foreseen to put the existing nuclear power stations out of action; see also Simona (2016), N. 4. For the new laws in detail, see Sect. 2.3 below.
 
23
Biomass is defined as organic material produced from photosynthesis that has not been transformed through biological processes; Annex 1.5 Energy Ordinance as in force (Energieverordnung, EnV; SR 730.01).
 
24
Article 1(f) EnV.
 
25
Political opponents of the Energy Strategy consider nuclear energy as not fully developed yet; on this point, see http://​www.​forum.​unibe.​ch/​e14354/​e17270/​e137360/​e137364/​Zusammenfassung_​Energiestrategie​_​Schweiz.​pdf, p. 3 [accessed 12 April 2017].
 
26
See also Simona (2016), N. 12.
 
27
Simona (2016), N. 33; Even nuclear power is produced at loss; see Simona (2016), N. 33. The foreseen government of the electricity sector is a change to the interim intended liberalization of the energy sector; see Müller (2016), N. 20.
 
28
See, for example, https://​www.​uvek.​admin.​ch/​uvek/​de/​home/​energie/​energiestrategie​-2050/​worum-geht-es.​html [accessed 12 April 2017]; see also Dispatch Energy Strategy 2050 (Swiss Federal Council 2013), p. 7585; Simona (2016), N. 33; Müller (2016), N. 19.
 
29
See also Dispatch Energy Strategy 2050 Dispatch Energy Strategy, p. 7585.
 
30
Article 10 et seq. Swiss Federal Energy Act (Energiegesetz, EnG; 730.0).
 
31
Article 15b EnG; see also Article 35 et seq. new Energy Act of 30 September 2016 (E-EnG, not yet in force).
 
32
See Sect. 2.2 below.
 
33
Dispatch Energy Strategy (Swiss Federal Council 2013), pp. 7565 et seq.
 
34
Dispatch Energy Strategy (Swiss Federal Council 2013), p. 7565.
 
35
See Sect. 2.2 below.
 
36
For a complete list of constitutional provisions that relate to energy production, see Jagmetti (2005), pp. 41 et seq.
 
37
Article 15 EnG; for the calculation of the subsidies, see Annex 1/3 EnV.
 
38
Article 7 et seq. EnG.
 
39
Annex I.1 seqq. EnV; Simona (2016), N. 34.
 
40
Article 7a EnG; Article 3 et seq. EnV.
 
41
Foundation KEV (2016), pp. 3 and 8; Simona (2016), N. 34.
 
42
A regulatory tax is a tax that serves to finance specific tasks of the Confederation. It can only be used to fulfill the specific tasks. Regulatory taxes are assigned revenues, cf. also Blumenstein and Locher (2016), pp. 7 and 11.
 
43
Article 15b(2) EnG.
 
44
Hettich and Walther (2011), pp. 144 et seq.
 
45
Article 3g(2) EnV. At the end of May 2016 37,600 projects were on the waiting list; Simona (2016), N. 36.
 
46
Hettich and Walther (2011), pp. 144 et seq.
 
47
Press release Swiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE 2016, available at: http://​www.​bfe.​admin.​ch/​energie/​00588/​00589/​00644/​index.​html?​lang=​de&​msg-id=​62433 [accessed 12 April 2017].
 
48
Evaluation der kostendeckenden Einspeisevergütung (KEV) 2012, available at: http://​www.​bfe.​admin.​ch/​themen/​00612/​02073/​index.​html?​dossier_​id=​02166&​lang=​de [accessed 12 April 2017].
 
49
See e.g. Simona (2016), N. 37.
 
50
The Swiss legislator considered the Confederation competent to raise the regulatory tax and enshrined it in the formal federal act. The view is disputed by some scholars as being unconstitutional; see Hettich and Walther (2011), pp. 157 et seq.; the provision must be applied by the courts (Article 190 Cst.).
 
51
Article 3gbis(1) EnV.
 
53
On this point, see Camenisch (2016), p. 26.
 
54
BBl 2016 7638.
 
55
The original proposition of the Federal Council referred to objectives, not benchmarks, cf. Simona (2016), N. 5.
 
56
Article 2(2) E-EnG.
 
57
Dispatch Energy Strategy 2050 (Swiss Federal Council 2013), pp. 7647 et seq.
 
58
See Simona (2016), N. 6.
 
59
Article 3(1) E-EnG; Dispatch Energy Strategy 2050 (Swiss Federal Council 2013), 7648 (24.4). The average electricity consumption shall, compared to the year 2000, be reduced by 3% by 2020 and 13% by 2035 (Article 3(2) E-EnG).
 
60
Dispatch Energy Strategy 2050 (Swiss Federal Council 2013), p. 7648.
 
61
BBl 2016 7638.
 
62
Article 1 E-EnG; Article 32 E-EnG; Article 44 et seq. E-EnG.
 
63
Article 12(4) and (5) E-EnG. Relevant are performance and output, and the capability to produce in flexible terms (especially winter production).
 
64
Article 12 E-EnG.
 
65
Article 6(2) Federal Act on the Protection of Nature and Cultural Heritage (NCHA; SR 451). Examples are wetland landscapes, historical monuments, etc.
 
66
On Article 6(2) NCHA, see Tschannen and Mösching (2012), 18 pp. et seq. The benchmark to expand renewable energy (Article 2 E-EnG; above Sect. 2.3.1) will in this context be important to approve also plants of smaller significance and size as in the national interest, when they substantially contribute to the envisaged expansion of renewable energies (Article 13(1)(a) E-EnG). See also Simona (2016), N. 5. Furthermore, a Proposal of the siting Canton is necessary; Article 13 al. 1 lit. b E-EnG.
 
67
See also Simona (2016), N. 11.
 
68
See for law in force e.g. BGer 1C_79/2016 of 5 April 2017 (Grimsel).
 
69
Article 14 E-EnG.
 
70
Article 42 et seq. BV.
 
71
A similar regulation on shortening the length of the procedure can be found in Article 18a of the Spatial Planning Act; Bundesgesetz über die Raumplanung (Raumplanungsgesetz, RPG) of 22 June 1979; SR 700.
 
72
“Rechtsfrage von grundsätzlicher Bedeutung”; new Article 83 lit. w Federal Act on The Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgesetz über das Bundesgericht; Bundesgerichtsgesetz, BGG; 173.110); BBl 2016 7716. Procedures concerning the approval for constructing a new power production plant will however not change; the Federal Supreme Court receives appeals of highest Cantonal administrative courts; Articles 82 and 86 BGG in force in September 2017.
 
73
Article 14 E-EnG; new Article 83(w) BGG; see above footnote 72.
 
74
Article 17a new Electricity Supply Act (Bundesgesetz über die Stromversorgung; Stromversorgungsgesetz, StromVG; SR 734.7).
 
75
Articles 15, 19 et seq., Article 21 E-EnG.
 
76
Article 15(1)(a) and (b) E-EnG.
 
77
Article 15(2) E-EnG.
 
78
Articles 15(4) and 19 E-EnG.
 
79
Article 15(3) E-EnG e contrario.
 
80
Article 15(3) E-EnG.
 
81
Article 19(3) E-EnG.
 
82
Hydropower plants having an output of less than 1 MW or more than 10 MW are not eligible (Article 19(4)(a) LEne, Article 19(5) E-EnG).
 
83
Photovoltaic plants having an output of less than 30 kW are not eligible (Article 19(4)(b) E-EnG).
 
84
Incinerators and gas plants are not eligible (Article 19(4)(c) and (d) E-EnG).
 
85
Article 19(1) E-EnG.
 
86
Article 21(1) E-EnG.
 
87
Article 21(3) E-EnG.
 
88
The rate of remuneration (“Vergütungssatz” Article 22 E-EnG) orients itself on the initial costs of a reference plant. It must be concretized by the Federal Council; Article 22(1) and (3) E-EnG.
 
89
Article 21(4) E-EnG; see also Simona (2016), N. 39.
 
90
Article 22(1) and (3) E-EnG.
 
91
Article 21(4) E-EnG.
 
92
Articles 21(3) and 23 E-EnG.
 
93
Article 23(2) E-EnG; see also Simona (2016), N. 41.
 
94
Article 19(4)(e) E-EnG.
 
95
Article 38(1)(a) E-EnG.
 
96
Article 24(1)(a) E-EnG.
 
97
Article 19(4)(a) E-EnG; see also Article 24(1)(b)(2) E-EnG; Dispatch Energy Strategy 2050 (Swiss Federal Council 2013), 7526, 7596.
 
98
Article 33 E-EnG.
 
99
Cf. Article 7abis EnG as in force (“Einmalvergütung”).
 
100
Simona (2016), N. 50.
 
101
Article 38(1)(b) E-EnG.
 
102
Article 35 et seq. E-EnG. See in this context Draft “Verordnung über die Förderung der Produktion von Elektrizität aus erneuerbaren Energien” (Energieförderungsverordnung, EnFV): UVEK (2017), pp. 1 et seq.
 
103
Article 35(3) E-EnG.
 
104
Simona (2016), N. 60.
 
105
Article 39 et seq. E-EnG.
 
106
Simona (2016), N. 3; Müller (2016), N. 21.
 
107
In the sense of the first measure package; see Sect. 2.3.2.
 
108
Dispatch KELS (Swiss Federal Council 2015), pp. 7877 et seq.
 
109
Dispatch KELS (Swiss Federal Council 2015), p. 7889.
 
110
See also Camenisch (2016), pp. 27 et seq.
 
111
AB 2017 N. 283 et seq.
 
112
In this context see also UVEK (2016), pp. 1, 5 et seq., 21 et seq., 31 et seq. The incentives refer to subsidization and are not further developed yet, nor has the compatibility with international law been fully researched, see SPOE 2016, p. 33.
 
113
Article 40 et seq. E-EnG. See Sect. 2.3.2 above.
 
114
Article 12 E-EnG. For law in force see Abegg (2016), pp. 1 et seq.; and under current law the case BGer 1C_79/2016 from 5 April 2017 (Grimsel).
 
115
Dispatch Energy Strategy 2050 (Swiss Federal Council 2013), p. 7599.
 
116
Report of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), Electricity Market after 2020, pp. 1 et seq.; see Sect. 2.3.3 above.
 
Literature
Abegg A (2016) Energiewende im Konflikt mit Natur- und Heimatschutz: Anwendbarkeit des Natur- und Heimatschutzgesetzes des Bundes auf Anlagen zur Erzeugung von erneuerbarer Energie: ein Kommentar zu Art. 2 NHG. Zürich Dike Verlag, Zurich
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Camenisch L (2016) Klima- und Energielenkungssystem: normative Überlegungen zu Art. 131a E-BV. Zürich Dike Verlag, Zurich
Hettich P, Walther S (2011) Rechtsfragen um die kostendeckende Einspeisevergütung (KEV) für Elektrizität aus erneuerbaren Energien. Schweizerisches Zentralblatt für Staats- und Verwaltungsrecht 3(2011):143–171
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Metadata
Title
Energy Transition in Switzerland
Author
Julia Hänni
Copyright Year
2018
Book
Energy Law and Economics

Print ISBN: 978-3-319-74635-7

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-319-74636-4

Copyright Year: 2018

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74636-4_3