Switzerland’s Government has presented a draft legislation to overturn a ban on building new nuclear power plants in the country. If the legislation is approved, companies would be allowed to apply for licenses to construct nuclear projects. The proposal is a response against the popular initiative “Stop the Blackout” which seeks the prohibition on granting general licenses for new nuclear projects and for modifications on existing nuclear plants to be repealed without being replaced. Lawmakers will have until August 2026 to decide on both proposals, and a plebiscite is expected if both initiatives remain.
In 2011, following the Fukushima accident, Switzerland had decided to phase out nuclear power. In 2017, Swiss voters approved a plan that included a ban on building new nuclear power plants.
As of end-2024, Switzerland still had three active nuclear plants totalling 2,960 MW, representing about 11% of the country’s installed capacity. However, nuclear still represented nearly 33% of Switzerland’s power generation with over 24 TWh in 2023.
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