Swiss law makes utilities spread renewable cost, specify fuel

London (Platts)--10Nov2004

Swiss power companies will have to identify the source of their electricity on
all invoices from the year 2006, and must also distribute the extra cost of
renewables more evenly among consumers, according to amendments to the federal
energy ordinance adopted by the Swiss government Wednesday. Although the
amendments come into force on Jan 1 2005, the companies have a year before
they need to record the exact mix of nuclear, hydro, solar, etc. in their
supplies, and they will not be allowed to include hydropower that has been
exported. The new ordinance will give official authenticity to certificates of
origin granted to renewables producers in Switzerland, which is particularly
important for the marketing of Swiss green hydropower on the international
market. The amendment on renewables introduces a new financial mechanism to
ensure that the extra cost of solar, wind and other renewables will no longer
be borne only by subscribers in the areas where it is produced but by all
consumers.

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