Swiss vote against quick nuclear phase-out

Switzerland has voted not to phase out nuclear energy production sooner than originally planned. The results of a referendum on Sunday saw 55% of voters wanting to stick to the original […]

Switzerland has voted not to phase out nuclear energy production sooner than originally planned.

The results of a referendum on Sunday saw 55% of voters wanting to stick to the original energy plan timeline, defeating the 45% who want to get rid of nuclear power as soon as possible.

Activist groups had pushed for the vote since Japan’s Fukushima disaster in 2011 to reduce the risks associated with nuclear energy, which provides around 35% of Switzerland’s power needs.

If the country had voted ‘yes’, it would have made the country much more reliant on fossil fuels from Germany and nuclear energy imports from France.

Government and industry opposed an accelerated nuclear exit for this reason and said it would not be possible to develop renewable infrastructure in time to cover the capacity and remain self-reliant.

For the time being, a third of Swiss power will continue to come from nuclear, with the remainder being sourced from hydroelectric generation.

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