Canton wants to save electricity

Saving energy is the order of the day. Following the measures decided upon by the Swiss Confederation, the Canton of Zug has now also decided on austerity measures. These will be implemented from 10 October.

"The canton of Zug and its administration want to be a role model when it comes to saving energy," says Silvia Thalmann, Director of Economic Affairs. She is part of a three-member committee of the government council that is working to prepare the canton for a possible energy shortage. This preparation and the resulting measures will follow the four phases that the Confederation has already defined. Specifically, the canton of Zug is currently in the first, the ‘austerity’ phase.

In addition to Silvia Thalmann, the three-member committee includes Construction Director Florian Weber and Deputy Security Director Stephan Schleiss. According to Silvia Thalmann, the first phase is aimed at showing the local population that everything that they save in energy now will help us to not to have to resort to drastic measures, such as grid shutdowns or gas quotas, later in the winter – in the harder months from December up to and including February.

More water in the reservoir means more safety
She explains how it works. More electricity can be produced in the harsher winter months if the reservoirs are well filled. If we need the electricity now, the reservoirs start emptying and we don’t currently know whether they will fill up with enough water again by the winter months. "That's why we have to save energy now," says Silvia Thalmann.

Construction Director Florian Weber explains how the Canton of Zug will proceed in concrete terms: "Various energy-saving measures have proven to be quickly implementable in a proportional and effective way in the cantonal buildings, such as limiting the room temperature to 20 °C, lowering the heating curve on weekends, public holidays and at night, decommissioning certain hot water taps, eliminating unused work equipment and reducing administrative operations between Christmas and New Year."

Committee working on the implementation of measures in the event of an energy shortage (from left) Stephan Schleiss (Deputy Director of Security), Silvia Thalmann-Gut (Director of Economic Affairs) and Florian Weber (Director of Construction).                   Photo: Mathias Blattmann

These measures are based on the appeals of the Confederation and the Conference of Cantonal Energy Directors, and will be implemented from 10 October.

Last resort: Shutting down networks
In a similar manner as during the Covid pandemic, the Federal Council (Bundesrat) is basically in charge, and will decide on further measures according to its four-phase plan if the first phase, the saving of energy, does not bring the expected effect. "In a second phase, the Federal Council can restrict or prohibit the use of non-mandatory energy consumers, such as saunas or neon signs." says Government Councillor Stephan Schleiss.

A further phase then concerns the energy quota, and the "last resort” would be the shutdown of the power networks for a certain period of time".

For this reason, the three-member committee unanimously emphasises that it’s absolutely necessary to save energy now. Among other things, to help neighbouring countries, on whose electricity supplies Switzerland is also dependent. These steps is would enable them to also build up reserves for energy production later in winter, and would offer a reasonable guarantee of getting through the winter with a reasonable amount of certainty, although not being necessarily completely unscathed.

The government is therefore willing to save energy, and appeals to the solidarity of all and invites the municipalities, population and economy to do the same, so that Switzerland can avert a shortage situation.

A press release from the Canton of Zug on the subject was sent out on Thursday, 6 October.