Enlargement of the ultra-high voltage grid by public mandate

Under the terms of the Electricity Supply Act (StromVG), representatives of electricity providers are required to monitor and ensure security of supply in Switzerland. To guarantee this, Swiss electricity companies are tasked with maintaining and building the requisite networks of lines. Thus grid expansion is a public mandate. All Alpiq ultra-high voltage projects are part of the strategic grid approved by the Federal Council and must be completed by 2015 in order to ensure nation-wide security of supply. The need for these lines in the public interest is therefore officially acknowledged.

Open the market – not the grid

In view of the gradual liberalisation of the Swiss electricity market, the Electricity Supply Act provided for a type of grid monopoly in order to provide all market participants equal access to the electricity grid. By 31 December 2012, therefore, the Swiss 220- and 380-kV line network will be transferred in its entirety to the national grid operator, Swissgrid, which has been in operation since 1 January 2009. If Alpiq transfers to Swissgrid its ultra-high voltage grid, which represents around one third of the national ultra-high voltage grid, the public mandate to further develop the ultra-high voltage grid will not be affected by this transfer of ownership.