GENEVA — Voters in a southern Swiss area cast their tallies Sunday to choose whether to permit big solar parks on their sun-baked Alpine mountainsides as part of the federal federalgovernment’s push to establish sustainable energy sources.
The referendum in the Valais canton centers on financial and ecological interests at a time of high and increasing issues about environment modification.
It’s likewise a notable test of public viewpoint. “Not-in-my-backyard”-style opposition to the strategy over a presumed blight on agrarian Swiss mountain vistas hasactually made for some uncommon political allies in the Alpine nation.
A rejection would not torpedo solar parks completely if the personal sector desires to establish them. But a “no” would set back the area, seen as one of the sunniest and most apt for solar parks in Switzerland, versus others like main Bern Oberland or eastern Graubünden for generous federal financing for such jobs — up to 60% of required funding for huge solar parks.
Proponents state Switzerland advantages from hydropower — its primary source of energy — mainly in the summertime, and high-altitude solar parks positioned above the common c