An alliance of left-wing and centrist parties has submitted more than 131,800 signatures in an effort to prevent Switzerland from lifting its ban on building new nuclear power plants, reported Greenpeace.
Representatives of the Socialist Party (SP), Greens, Green Liberals (GLP) and parts of the Centre Party submitted the signatures in Bern on Tuesday.
The alliance wants to preserve Switzerland’s existing ban on new nuclear power plants. Lisa Mazzone, president of the Greens, described nuclear power as an outdated, overpriced technology that leaves future generations with highly radioactive waste.
Nuclear power currently accounts for just under 30% of Switzerland’s domestic electricity generation. But the country cannot produce enough electricity to meet demand in winter and relies on imports—the gap was approximately 6.8 TWh in 2025–26, which corresponds to about a fifth of the winter country consumption.
Vanessa Gassler-Meury, a member of the committee behind the “Stop the Blackout” initiative, argues that the problem will worsen as existing nuclear power plants are shut down.
We believe that renewables alone are not enough, she said. Solar power is intermittent, whereas nuclear power provides a steady supply of electricity. Nuclear energy is therefore particularly important in winter, when Switzerland needs reliable, low-carbon power, she argued.
Solar power gains ground in winter
Solar power is making a growing contribution to Switzerland’s winter electricity supply. Last winter it generated more than 2TWh, equivalent to the additional winter electricity production targeted by a planned expansion of hydropower by 2040.
Supporters of solar power fear that lifting the ban on new nuclear plants could slow investment in renewable energy. Jürg Grossen, president of the GLP, has tabled a parliamentary motion calling for solar-power subsidies to be maintained.
Priska Wismer-Felder, a Centre Party member of the National Council from Lucerne, also backs the referendum. She argues that Switzerland should concentrate its resources on expanding renewables rather than pursuing nuclear power.
If we lift the ban on nuclear power plant construction now, we’ll spread ourselves too thin, she said. We can only spend each franc once.
Winter power supply at the heart of the debate
The role of nuclear power in securing Switzerland’s winter electricity supply is likely to be a central issue in the referendum campaign.
If the referendum goes ahead, voters could have their say on the proposed legislative change as early as February 28th 2027.
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