Switzerland must urgently improve electricity distribution, says new sector boss

Switzerland needs to develop its electricity transmission and distribution network. This is what the new president of the Association of Swiss Electricity Companies, Martin Schwab, calls for in an interview with Swiss public radio SRF on Saturday. The federal government plans to speed up the authorisation procedures for transforming and extending the electricity transmission network. But for Schwab, the plan does not go far enough. He is also calling for neighbourhood distribution networks to be built more quickly. Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe here. For example, he would like more flexible requirements for transformer stations. Currently these can only be built in building zones. But in a neighbourhood of detached houses, it is sometimes difficult to find a site for this type of technical installation. 'Regrettable' objections Voter approval of the Electricity Act was intended to facilitate the planning of 16 hydropower plants. The authorities and the ...