Electricity generated by nuclear power plants accounts for virtually 40% of Switzerland's electricity requirements. So, alongside hydroelectricity, nuclear power is an important pillar of our electricity supplies and has been providing the country with reliable, cost-effective and ecological electricity for 40 years.
 
To guarantee energy security in Switzerland well into the future, at least two new nuclear power plants must be built to replace the Swiss and foreign capacities which are gradually coming to an end. In 2009, Swiss electricity companies Alpiq, Axpo and BKW submitted to the Federal Office of Energy applications for nuclear power plants to be built in Beznau and Mühleberg as well as in Niederamt, Solothurn. As things stand at present, the new nuclear power plants should be connected to the grid in 2025.
 
One of the main criteria for replacing existing nuclear power plants is robust, sustainable political support from the Confederation and cantons, as owners of nuclear power plant projects, and the municipalities in which such plants are to be built.
 
The existing nuclear power plants in Beznau (AG), Leibstadt (AG), Gösgen (SO) and Mühleberg (BE) are to be kept in operation for as long as safety is guaranteed. To this end, the facilities continually undergo state-of-the-art upgrades.

The implementation times for modern new nuclear power plants are determined not only by the permit procedure defined by the Nuclear Energy Act (KEG) but also by the political will. swisselectric calls on political decision-makers to clearly declare their support for replacement capacity projects. By adopting a proactive approach, the Swiss government can make an important contribution to our country's future energy security.

The disposal of radioactive waste in geological underground depositories is technically feasible in Switzerland. The FOE's three-step plan for site selection provides a democratic, goal-oriented process, the first stage of which should be completed by 2011. Following the Federal Council's acknowledgement of the feasibility of disposing of highly radioactive waste, the criteria for implementing the requisite nuclear power plants have now been met. The next political question to be resolved is which of the various possible sites should be selected for the geological underground depository.