Axpo chief warns of electricity shortage in winter due to lack of Russian gas and lack of rain. The expansion of renewable energies must be encouraged.
The basics in brief
- Christoph Brand, president of Axpo, believes that winter energy shortages are possible.
- The reason for this is the weather and the lack of gas from Russia and French nuclear power plants.
- If Switzerland builds non-renewable energies, there may be rationing.
Christoph Brand, president of the largest Swiss energy company, Expo, believes that next winter a power shortage will be possible. The watchdog Elcom had previously warned of such a scenario.
Russia has cut gas supplies to Europe by 60 percent since Monday, Brand said in an interview with Blick TV. Depending on how long this takes, it will only exacerbate the problems already plaguing Europe with energy shortages.
The situation is more serious than was thought a few months ago, when Russia had not yet attacked Ukraine. To make matters worse, half of France’s nuclear power complex is currently out of service.
Switzerland usually imports French nuclear energy, especially in the winter. In general, the situation is uncomfortable. The brand fears that electricity could one day be rationed if Switzerland builds non-renewable energy.
Are you worried about the electricity situation in Switzerland?
Whether there will be any major problems in the coming winter depends largely on the weather. Precipitation is currently very little, which is why the Swiss reservoirs are not sufficiently filled. The wind is still a problem.
