A comparison of individual production technologies clearly shows that all large-scale technologies have advantages and disadvantages. In the long run, the new renewable energies and decentralized power plants will not be able to deliver sufficient energy to bridge the electricity gap, so it is inevitable that Switzerland will also have to invest in large-scale power plants.

The options include hydroelectric, gas-fired combined cycle power, coal-fired and nuclear plants. In Switzerland, the potential for hydroelectric power plants has been virtually fully exploited. Coal-fired power is not an option due to the high level of CO2 emissions and fuel logistical difficulties (transportation of coal into Switzerland). Only gas-fired combined cycle power plants and nuclear power plants remain an option. A comparison of the electricity production cost per kWh shows that nuclear power plants generate significantly cheaper electricity than gas-fired combined cycle power plants. In addition, gas-fired combined cycle power plants produce a high CO2 output; a gas plant with a 400 MW capacity releases approximately one million tonnes of CO2 per year, whereas electricity produced by a nuclear power plant is virtually CO2-free.