Switzerland’s Electricity Supply in 2050: Which Solutions Are Realistic?

Switzerland’s electricity demand is expected to increase significantly over the coming decades. At the same time, the country aims to ensure climate neutrality, security of supply and economic viability. But what could a sustainable and resilient energy system actually look like in 2050?

This was the question explored by students during the Baden 4.0 Summer School 2026 together with cross-ING. Rather than searching for one single “right” solution, the focus was on developing and comparing different future scenarios.

From Today’s Energy System to Tomorrow’s Electricity Mix

The starting point illustrates the scale of the challenge: compared with 2020, Switzerland’s electricity demand is expected to increase by around 38.6 TWh by 2050. Despite the planned expansion of renewable energy sources, the country could still face a winter electricity shortfall of approximately 9 TWh.

The key question is therefore not only how much energy can be produced, but also when it is available, how it can be stored, and which technologies are socially, economically and politically feasible.

Scenarios Instead of Simple Answers

The students first analysed the potential of different energy sources in terms of feasibility, costs and their possible contribution to Switzerland’s future electricity supply.

Three groups then deliberately developed contrasting extreme scenarios for Switzerland’s electricity supply in 2050. Their task was to define clear assumptions, combine different technologies and use them to create robust visions of possible energy futures.

The scenarios were assessed according to a common set of criteria: demand coverage, winter supply, costs, CO₂ balance, social acceptance and risks. This made it possible to identify the consequences of different energy policy and technology choices.

The extreme scenarios helped highlight the advantages and disadvantages of individual technologies. Based on these findings, the students then developed a combined strategy that brought together elements from the different approaches.

Complex Systems Require Systems Thinking

The task reflects a challenge that is typical of many real-world engineering projects: complex problems can rarely be solved by optimising a single technology.

Instead, technical possibilities, economic conditions, risks and societal requirements need to be considered together. Assumptions must be made transparent, and different solution paths need to be compared systematically.

This way of thinking was at the heart of the Baden 4.0 Summer School and is also part of everyday engineering at cross-ING: structuring complexity, developing scenarios and deriving viable solutions from a wide range of possible options.

The feedback from the students was consistently positive. At the same time, the project demonstrated how even complex questions about the future can become tangible and open to discussion when approached through clear parameters, structured scenarios and systematic comparison.

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