Ambitious nuclear and rooftop solar expansion to avoid landscape-impacting wind and alpine solar units
Preserving landscapes
Protect natural, unspoiled areas by avoiding large-scale energy projects
Leveraging nuclear energy
New nuclear power plants ensure a long-term, climate-neutral electricity supply
Expanding rooftop solar
Massive installation of rooftop PV systems without impacting the landscape
Minimizing imports
Limited but necessary electricity imports to cover the winter power shortfall
Energy Mix Year
Production
Demand
Production
2025
Total generation 73 TWh
2050
Total generation 106 TWh
Demand
2025
Total demand 63 TWh
2050
Total demand 88 TWh
2050 Year
Transition Year
The energy mix as we transition to 2050
Demand
PV
Wind
Hydro
Biomass
Geothermal
Nuclear
Fossil
2025 Year
TWh
Demand
63.4
Generation
73.3
Deficit
--
Import --
Import
--
Import atget exceeded
--
Generation
73.3
Storage reserve used
--
PV 9.6
PV Roof
9.5
PV Alpine
0.1
PV Ground
--
Wind
0.2
Hydro 36.6
Run-of-River
18.4
Storage
18.2
Biomass 2
Biomass
2
CCS Biomass
--
Gas --
Market-Gas
--
Reserve gas power plants
--
Geothermal
--
Nuclear 23
Nuclear
23
New nuclear
--
Fossil 1.9
Existing fossil fuel power plants
1.9
CCS Fossil Fuels
--
Hard coal
--
Challenges
Import target exceeded
The energy law sets a non-binding 5 TWh import target, which will be exceeded in 2033 - 2046.
Landscape preservation
Avoiding impacts on natural landscapes restricts the expansion of renewable energy projects
Delays due to opposition
Projects are delayed or blocked by opposition and public referenda
Technological and investment risks
Building new nuclear power plants is currently banned and involves high economic risks for investors
Dependence on rooftop PV
Missing winter energy from ground-mounted or alpine solar must be compensated through rooftop PV and imports
Costs
Total Costs, Revenues and Subsidies in CHF until 2050.
Total production costs
239 billion
Accumulated until 2050
Revenues
219 billion
Assuming an average power price of 75 CHF/MWn
Subsidies required
37 billion
Remaining costs not covered by revenues
Average cost
8.5 billion / year
The annual average of the total cost, 8.5 bn CHF per year, is less than 2% of the (estimated) Swiss GDP in 2024 (825 bn. CHF).
Levelized cost
We use Levelized costs of electricity (LCOE). Future costs may rise as cheaper plants are replaced. High demand and costly technologies like rooftop PV can further increase costs. See Expert Mode for details on technology costs.
2020s
2030s
2040s
Levelized cost (LCOE) ⌀ CHF/MWh
About the scenario developer
Axpo
Axpo is Switzerland's largest power producer and an international leader in energy trading as well as in the marketing of solar and wind power. Around 7,000 employees combine experience and expertise with a passion for innovation and the pursuit of ever better solutions. The “Renewables” scenario is one of several official scenarios from Axpo for a renewable energy future for Switzerland.
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Methodology reviewed by ETH Zürich