Primeo Energie was able to present a robust 2023 financial year at the 126th Ordinary Delegates' Meeting on 17 April 2024. Due to the replacement of delegates in autumn 2024, this was the last meeting for 26 delegates.
Despite the transformation in the energy sector with unforeseen changes, Primeo Energie delivered a robust result. Positive market effects from the electricity business in France, the management of the electricity business from long-term procurement contracts and the expansion of renewable energies contributed significantly to Primeo Energie's robust result. In conjunction with the development of electricity prices in the previous year, sales rose slightly to CHF 2.5 billion (previous year: CHF 2.3 billion). Profit totalled CHF 85 (28) million and would have been higher if Primeo Energie had not introduced measures to lower electricity prices in 2024. In line with the cooperative's mandate, Primeo Energie made a subsidy of CHF 25 million to reduce electricity prices in the basic supply. Primeo Energie waived profits for this.
Measures for a successful energy transition
In 2023, the focus of the energy transition was on decarbonising the heat supply in Switzerland and Alsace and on projects by the associated company aventron, which specialises in the production of green electricity. Once again, Primeo Energie was also able to support many customers in producing clean electricity themselves or switching to renewable heat. There are now over 1,500 private home batteries and over 6,500 photovoltaic systems with an installed capacity of over 145 megawatts in the traditional grid area. The 35 per cent increase in photovoltaic systems in one year is impressive. On average, seven new photovoltaic systems were connected to Primeo Energie's electricity grid every working day. In order to maintain this trend and successfully master the energy transition in Switzerland by 2050, further efforts are needed in energy efficiency, the expansion and flexibilisation of the grid and, above all, the rapid expansion of power generation capacity in the country. Accordingly, Chairman of the Board of Directors Andreas Büttiker emphasised the importance of an electricity agreement with the EU and, in particular, the importance of a convincing Yes vote on 9 June 2024 on the Electricity Act for secure electricity generation with renewable energies in Switzerland in his Chairman's address.
Votes and elections
The 212 delegates entitled to vote approved the 2023 Annual and Sustainability Report and decided on the appropriation of net profit as proposed. They also granted discharge to the responsible bodies for their activities in the 2023 financial year. In the renewal elections, the current members of the Board of Directors Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter (Biel-Benken), Dr Beatrice Van der Haegen-Graber (Münchenstein) and Dr Thomas C. Flatt (Zollikon) were confirmed in office for a further term of office until 2028. The delegates also elected Thomas Bucher (Zumikon) as a new member of the Board of Directors until 2028. He succeeds Simone Winter (Ettingen), who stepped down from the Board of Directors in October 2023. Ernst & Young AG was re-elected as auditors for the 2024 financial year. The Delegates' Meeting also supported the proposal of the Board of Directors and approved the regulations on the election of delegates. The starting point was the amendment to the Articles of Association adopted in 2019, which dissolved the Office of the Delegates Assembly and transferred the corresponding powers for the upcoming elections to the Board of Directors.
Last DM for 26 delegates with a combined 516 years of delegate experience
The more than 58,000 members of the EBM cooperative elect their delegates every four years. This will be the case again in 2024. By participating in the election of delegates, the members of the cooperative influence the development of the cooperative and thus of Primeo Energie. The delegates represent the members of the cooperative and thus safeguard the interests of the various customer groups and regions. In June 2024, all members of the cooperative will be contacted to submit nominations. The actual elections will take place in autumn 2024. As a result of the new elections, the following 26 delegates of EBM (Genossenschaft Elektra Birseck) will leave the Assembly of Delegates at the end of 2024 for statutory reasons: Hanspeter Keller (Aesch, delegate since 2009), René Fischli Schneider (Allschwil, 2021), Kurt Kneier (Allschwil, 2001), Jean-Jacques Winter Bitterli (Allschwil, 2013), Erik Schellenberg (Binningen, 2013), Hans Hügli (Brislach, 1992), Hanspeter Wyss Kunz (Büren, 1997), Urs Bendel (Dornach, 2017), Hanspeter Gorrengourt-Thüring (Ettingen, 2013), Georg Lindenberger (Fehren, 1988), Gerold Borer Mosimann (Grindel, 1997), Jeannot Nass-Bihr (Hégenheim, 2013), Jean Claude Gugenberger-Wetter (Hésingue, 1992), Liliane König Liebundguth (Leymen, 2005), Beatrix Kamber (Metzerlen-Mariastein, 1997), Franz Volonté-Hänggi (Nunningen, 2005), Hugo Ley Renz (Oberwil, 2009), Dr. Dieter Leu (Rickenbach, 2021), Marie-Jeanne Bleriot-Schilli (Saint-Louis, 1984), Raymond Eckes (Saint-Louis, 2001), Karin Gangloff (Saint-Louis, 2021), Rolf Hersberger (Saint-Louis, 1997), Jean-Pierre Kegler (Saint-Louis, 2013), Jürg Christian Dieterle (Schönenbuch, 2013), Markus Kopp Streissguth (Therwil, 1992), Mark Winkler (Witterswil, 2013).
Together they combine 513 years of experience as EBM delegates.
Media contact:
Joachim Krebs, Head of Corporate Communications, +41 61 415 43 85, j.krebs@primeo-energie.ch
