2023-09-23-IEA-瑞士2023能源审查_137页_2mb

Energy Policy Review - Switzerland 2023

Executive Summary

Switzerland is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and has set ambitious targets for climate action and renewable energy deployment. Key challenges include insufficient progress toward 2030 climate targets, permitting delays for energy projects, and vulnerabilities in energy security, particularly during winter months. While Switzerland demonstrates strong decoupling between energy consumption and economic growth, policy measures are deemed inadequate to meet mid-term goals. The energy transition requires coordinated efforts, accelerated permitting, enhanced energy efficiency, and robust gas market regulation.

1. General Energy Policy

• Decarbonization Goals: Switzerland aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, with a focus on replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and electrification.
• Legal Complexity: The federal system with cantonal autonomy creates challenges in harmonizing energy policies and accelerating projects like wind power.
• Recommendations: Streamlining permitting processes, enhancing policy coordination between federal and cantonal levels, and binding long-term targets for post-2030 climate legislation.

2. Energy and Climate Change

• Progress: Switzerland reduced GHG emissions by 18% since 1990 but narrowly missed 2020 targets due to sector-specific challenges (e.g., transport and buildings).
• Decarbonization Paths: CCS and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies are prioritized for hard-to-abate sectors, but legal barriers at the cantonal level hinder development.
• Recommendations: Aligning the Energy Amendment Package with long-term climate goals, strengthening climate resilience, and clarifying roles for gas market regulation.

3. Energy Efficiency

• Efficiency Gains: Switzerland decoupled energy consumption and economic growth, with significant progress in buildings and industry.
• Policy Gaps: Current measures are insufficient to achieve 2030 targets, particularly in rental markets and shorter-term building refurbishment.
• Recommendations: Establish "energy efficiency first" as a pillar of new legislation, addressing split incentives in rental markets, and accelerating support for heat pumps and solar PV.

4. Renewable Energy

• Current Mix: Hydropower (59% of electricity), solar PV, and biomass dominate, but solar deployment is lagging due to permitting delays.
• Policy Initiatives: Legislative reforms (e.g., energy amendment package) aim to set binding renewable targets, but implementation faces bureaucratic hurdles.
• Recommendations: Broaden renewable blending mandates, speed up permitting for wind/solar projects, and leverage tenders for competitive deployment.

5. Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration

• RD&D Efforts: Funding shifted toward renewables and energy efficiency but remains fragmented across government agencies.
• Opportunities: Pioneer hydrogen and power-to-X technologies while addressing private sector data gaps.
• Recommendations: Enhance cross-agency coordination, improve impact assessments, and expand private sector participation in RD&D.

6. Electricity

• System Transformation: High grid flexibility from hydropower masks winter import risks; solar and wind expansion is needed for energy security.
• Market Liberalization: Delays in market opening and grid upgrades constrain renewable integration.
• Recommendations: Align electricity market rules with the EU for deeper integration, increase grid storage capacity, and accelerate smart grid deployment.

7. Natural Gas

• Phase-Out: Natural gas demand is declining, with a shift to renewable gases and electrification.
• Regulatory Gaps: No comprehensive gas law; market opening is limited to large consumers.
• Recommendations: Swiftly adopt a Gas Supply Act, promote renewable gas blending, and enhance storage infrastructure.

8. Nuclear Energy

• Long-Term Operation: Nuclear power's role is transitioning, with discussions on 60-year operation and hydrogen production.
• Waste Management: Deep geological repositories face political and technical challenges, while decommissioning costs require robust funding mechanisms.
• Recommendations: Strengthen workforce training, deepen stakeholder engagement, and accelerate decommissioning funds.

9. Oil

• Import Dependency: High oil consumption in transport and buildings risks long-term energy security.
• Transition: Biofuels and electrification offer pathways; stockholding policies are effective but need updated logistics planning.
• Recommendations: Integrate biofuels into blending mandates, promote EV adoption for transport, and enhance private sector coordination.

Annexes

• Organisations Visited: Key stakeholders included government agencies, industry associations, and research institutions.
• Glossary: Definitions of energy policy terms and abbreviations.
• Units of Measure: Standardized energy units used in the report.

Switzerland's energy transition demands decentralized, cross-sectoral policies that address permitting barriers, harmonize cantonal regulations, and align renewable deployment with climate targets.