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Electricity consumption is rising substantially, winter supply relies on gas power plants, imports and moderate expansion of renewables
power_coord
Electrification challenge
Electrification places ever-growing demands on the power system
energy_export
Not winter supply without imports
A certain dependency from neighbor countries is sensible for full winter supply
sun
Peak-shaving for PV surpluses
In addition to storage, peak shaving may be necessary in summer with PV surpluses
valve
Gas power plants against winter gap
Climate-neutral generation from gas requires certificates, carbon-capture-and-storage or renewables gases
Energy Mix Year
Production
Demand
Production
2025
2050
Demand
2025
2050

Pros and Cons
Pros:
    Cons:
      2050 Year

      Pros:
        Cons:
          Transition Year
          The energy mix as we transition to 2050
          Demand
          2025 Year
          TWh
          Demand
          NaN
          Generation
          --
          Deficit
          --
          Import
          --
          Import
          --
          Import atget exceeded
          --
          Generation
          0
          Storage reserve used
          --
          PV
          --
          Wind
          --
          Hydro
          --
          Biomass
          --
          Gas
          --
          Geothermal
          --
          Nuclear
          --
          Fossil
          --
          Challenges
          power_coord
          Substantial increase in demand
          Total energy consumption is decreasing thanks to electrification and increased efficiency, but this leads to a substantially higher electricity demand
          energy_export
          Agreement with EU
          Electricity trade with neighboring countries thanks to an electricity agreements with EU makes the system more resilient and secure
          sun
          Surpluses in summer
          More flexibility such as storage in the system is needed to make sensible use of summer surpluses
          valve
          Gas power plants against winter gap
          Gas power plants must be used as a supplement in winter, with a preference for climate-neutral operation

          The seasonal impact

          Looking at winter, summer, and full year in an energy scenario reveals seasonal variations in demand (e.g., heating vs. cooling) and supply (e.g., solar availability), helping optimize resource use and ensure system resilience year-round.

          Costs
          Total Costs, Revenues and Subsidies in CHF until 2050.
          Total production costs
          billion
          Accumulated until 2050
          Revenues
          billion
          Assuming an average power price of 75 CHF/MWn
          Subsidies required
          billion
          Remaining costs not covered by revenues
          Average cost
          billion / year
          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

          Levelized Costs of Electricity

          All costs in the following section are Levelized Costs of Electricity (LCOE), a key metric for comparing energy sources. LCOE includes capital, operational, and fuel costs over a plant’s lifetime, offering a transparent view of electricity generation expenses. All values are real 2024.

          About the scenario developer
          VSE (Swiss Association of Electricity Companies)
          VSE (Swiss Association of Electricity Companies)
          The Swiss Association of Electricity Companies (VSE) represents the interests of Switzerland’s energy utilities. It promotes a secure, competitive, and sustainable energy supply and advocates for policies that support the transition to renewable energy.
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          Axpo Renewables A balanced build-out of renewables, focusing on solar and wind. Green gas as winter-backup

          Legend

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          D : Demand • P : Production • Δ : Production Surplus
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          Legend

          A projection of the energy mix, demand and production for the year 2050 for the given scenario.
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          D : Demand • P : Production • Δ : Production Surplus
          Energy Law ("Mantelerlass") Targets of 35 TWh of renewable energy by 2035 and 45 TWh by 2050, plus 6 TWh of renewable winter electricity, of which 2 TWh hydropower

          Legend

          A projection of the energy mix, demand and production for the year 2050 for the given scenario.
          HydroPVNuclearWindGasBiomassFossilGeothermal Other
          D : Demand • P : Production • Δ : Production Surplus
          Business as usual Without increased investments, winter import dependency will rise strongly, making blackouts likely after the nuclear shutdown

          Legend

          A projection of the energy mix, demand and production for the year 2050 for the given scenario.
          HydroPVNuclearWindGasBiomassFossilGeothermal Other
          D : Demand • P : Production • Δ : Production Surplus
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          Methodology reviewed by ETH Zürich