Photo: Philippe Gendret, head of department Yverdon-les-Bains Énergies.
Yverdon-les-Bains was awarded the "Cité de l'énergie" label in 2010. With Agenda 21, Yverdon-les-Bains has introduced an action programme for the concrete implementation of sustainable development at municipal level. Among these measures, Yverdon-les-Bains Energies offers climate-neutral natural gas in collaboration with myclimate.
Philippe Gendret, please describe the energy supply company Yverdon-les-Bains Énergies in a few words. How many customers do you supply and what products do you offer them?
Yverdon Energies supplies 18,000 customers with electricity, gas, water, fibre optic cables and thermal energy. The company applies a sustainable development programme based on the political vision and the 2050 energy strategy voted by the population.
How do you see the future of natural gas in the Swiss energy mix?
Yverdon-les-Bains is a town located on the plain. We have no embankments and conditions that are generally unsuitable for hydroelectric products. Even if we have photovoltaic programs or wind farm projects, our main source of energy will remain gas in the coming decades. The biogas market will grow and we will develop "power to gas" solutions that use electricity from wind turbines or photovoltaic installations.
Our next challenge will be to produce methane gas (CH4) from water (H2O) and local carbon dioxide (CO2). This new product will be offered in addition to natural gas.
Why does Yverdon-les-Bains Énergies offer climate-neutral gas to its customers?
To be consistent with the political strategy of our city. The whole municipality of Yverdon-les-Bains is striving to be as climate neutral as possible in terms of energy. For our future and the future of our customers, everyone in the administration has a duty to implement a sustainable programme.
You have been working with myclimate since 2017. Recently you decided to extend this collaboration for another three years. Why did you choose myclimate as your partner?
Of the many ways in which Yverdon can achieve its sustainability goals, myclimate's programmes offer the best leverage to ensure a cleaner future and stem global warming. The myclimate carbon offset projects are effective and subject to strict controls. With myclimate, our company and our clients can be sure that the money is well invested in quality projects selected by us.
Yverdon-les-Bains has been "Cité de l'énergie" certified since 2010 and with your Agenda 21, you propose an action programme guaranteeing sustainable development within your company. Does this also influence your range of electricity and gas products and how?
The entire municipality is committed to sustainable development. It is our entrepreneurial way of working and thinking. Let's take the example of the increase in electromobility: four departments - Mobility, Safety, Agenda 21 and Yverdon Energies - are committed to minimisingCO2 emissions, and to using and transforming local energy.
Yverdon Energies has been working in partnership with myclimate since 2016 and offers its 18,000 customers climate-neutral natural gas as a solution. Pierre Dessemontet, municipal councillor of Yverdon-les-Bains, underlines the important contribution of local supply companies in the fight against climate change:
As the head of the supply department of a medium-sized town, we are in a better position than others to combat climate change because we are the main supplier of energy to our municipality. We can therefore influence and promote greener energy sources: electricity from hydropower, wind and sun instead of coal or nuclear power, green heat sources such as thermal energy from sewage treatment plants or local wood and, if possible, renewable gas instead of fossil fuels. A city's supply service should always be a pioneer in the fight against global warming.