Swiss reject quick exit from atomic power
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS | Sun Nov 27, 2016 | 11:24am EST
Swiss reject quick exit from atomic power
By John Miller | ZURICH
Swiss voted in a referendum on Sunday to reject a speedy exit from the nation's five nuclear power plants, as concerns over losing energy independence outweighed safety worries raised by the measure's proponents.
Nearly 55 percent of voters turned down the initiative, with 45 percent favoring it in a vote that was part of the Swiss system of direct democracy giving citizens a final say on important issues.
Swiss reactors Muehleberg and Beznau I and II would have been shuttered next year, followed by Goesgen in 2024 and Leibstadt in 2029, had the initiative passed.
The Swiss government and industry fought the plan, saying it could have led to blackouts, higher costs and the loss of energy independence because the country would have become more dependent on coal-fired power from neighboring Germany.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-swiss-nuclearpower-vote-idUSKBN13M0IS
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