Switzerland voters back govt's plan to replace nuclear power with renewable energy

New Delhi: In an attempt to move towards greener power sources, Switzerland have voted to phase out nuclear power and replace it with renewable energy.

In a referendum on Sunday, May 21, more than 58% voted in favour of a government's law that will ban new nuclear plants in the country.

"The results shows the population wants a new energy policy and does not want any new nuclear plants," Energy Minister Doris Leuthard said, adding the law would boost domestic renewable energy, cut fossil fuel use and reduce reliance on foreign supplies.

The move followed Germany's decision to phase out all country's nuclear power reactors by 2022 in the wake of Japan’s 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Switzerland's Energy Strategy 2050 law, passed by the referendum, aims to gradually move the country away from nuclear power and increase its use of renewable energy. It also aims at reducing carbon emissions.

At present, Switzerland has five ageing nuclear power plants, which provide a third of the country's energy needs.

The vote was hailed by the president of Switzerland's Green party, Regula Rytz, describing it as a "moment of historic change".

However, opponents had warned that the government's plans to move away from nuclear energy were costly and posed risks to energy security.

The vote paves the way for the country to provide billions of dollars in subsidies for renewable energy to increase the proportion of solar and wind in the mix, and bail out the hydro power utilities.