Survey reignites debate on nuclear power in Switzerland

According to a recent survey, a majority of Swiss voters would like to allow the construction of new nuclear power plants again. This reignites a decades-old debate. A look at history shows that the hurdles for specific projects would be high even if the ban on new construction were to be lifted. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox By the year 2000, 15 to 20 new nuclear power plants would have to be built: That was the forecast of experts in the mid-1970s. The Beznau I (since 1969) and Beznau II (1971) power plants in the canton of Aargau and Mühleberg in canton Bern (1972) were already on the grid at the time. The scenario did not materialise. The only additions to the existing nuclear power plants at the time were those in Gösgen in canton Solothurn (1979) and Leibstadt in Aargau (1984). To add to this, the operator BKW took the Mühleberg nuclear power plant off the grid in 2019 for economic reasons and it is currently being dismantled. However, there were ...