Switzerland's role as an electricity turntable

The electricity utilities in Switzerland combined their networks decades ago in order to increase the reliability of supply. The more power stations there are connected to a network, the less risk there is of a sustained power failure.

Consequently, a common electricity network enables surpluses and shortfalls to be regulated between individual regions, as well as reserves to be shared. This enables power stations to be used to better capacity, making them more cost-efficient to run. This electricity exchange generally takes place via the extra-high voltage network.

However, this exchange does not stop at the national borders. Virtually all the countries of continental Europe are linked by an interconnected network of extra-high voltage lines, from Denmark to Greece and from Portugal to Romania.

If a power station fails in one country, other countries' power stations can step in at short notice. Consequently, the European electricity network ensures a high degree of supply reliability for the partners, as well as reserves at relatively little cost.

Switzerland plays a central role in this network because it has a large number of power stations with reservoirs. They can quickly adjust their production in line with current demands and store the energy in the form of water in the reservoirs. Therefore, Switzerland exports electricity, in particular when consumption levels are high.

Over the year as a whole, Switzerland generally has an export surplus. However, this has tended to decrease in recent years. In fact, there was even a shift over to imports in 2005 and 2006. During cold spells, Switzerland generally has to source more electricity than it can deliver.

Switzerland also plays an important role as a transit country because some of the electricity which is exported from France to Italy passes along the Swiss extra-high voltage network.