Nuclear security

Swiss Voters Back Plan to Phase Out Nuclear Power

Swiss voters on Sunday backed the government’s plan to ban new nuclear plants, provide billions of dollars in subsidies for renewable energy and help bail out struggling utilities.

Provisional final figures from a binding referendum showed support at 58.2 percent under the Swiss system of direct democracy, which gives voters the final say on major policy issues.

The Swiss initiative mirrors efforts to reduce dependence on nuclear power elsewhere in Europe, partly in response to Japan’s Fukushima disaster in 2011. Germany intends to phase out nuclear power by 2022; Austria banned it decades ago.