Through the SuisseEnergie program, Switzerland has set itself the goal of producing 50 to 100 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity using wind by 2010. The share of wind energy in electricity production would then increase from 0,01% currently to 0,1% in six years.
Then, the Confederation wants, by 2025, to cover 0,5% of national electricity consumption, or 300 GWh, thanks to the wind. This represents the work of 189 wind turbines which could produce current between 12 and 25 Swiss franc centimes (between 8 and 17 euro centimes) on
kWh.

The sites selected for the installation of wind turbines are numerous: 96 sites in total, including 12 "priority" sites and 16 sites which already exist within the framework of cantonal or municipal planning. The majority of these sites are located on the Jura Arc and the Alpine Arc.
Wind power has grown dramatically over the past ten years in Europe. A pioneer, Germany has more than 7000 wind turbines. The German region of Baden-Württemberg alone produces 45 times more energy than Switzerland. Austria, geographically comparable to Switzerland, has a wind power 80 times higher. “Switzerland must therefore develop its wind power potential,” underlines Michael Kaufmann, head of the SuisseEnergie program and deputy director of the Federal Office of Energy (SFOE).

contacts:
- Federal Office of Energy (OFEN) - http://www.suisse-energie.ch
Sources: Energie Extra, Information from the Federal Office of Energy
(SFOE) and SwissEnergy, 10 / 2004