Swissgrid was founded in 2006 in response to the gradual liberalisation of the Swiss electricity market. Since 2008, the Electricity Supply Act has stipulated that the transmission grid must be owned by the national grid company.
As the national grid company, Swissgrid has been responsible for the operation, safety and expansion of the 6,700 km-long extra-high-voltage grid since 2009. Swissgrid took over the grid in 2013, which represented an important milestone on the path towards electricity market liberalisation.
Swissgrid employs more than 800 highly qualified people from 28 countries at its sites in Aarau and Prilly as well as in its regional offices in Castione, Landquart, Laufenburg, Ostermundigen and Uznach. As a member of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), Swissgrid also supports the coordination and grid utilisation activities in the European exchange of electricity.
Swissgrid is playing a key role in the energy reform that is currently taking place. The company works together with the energy sector, business, politics and the population to develop solutions to expand the Swiss transmission grid sustainably and efficiently.
Milestones
| 2000 | Foundation of ETRANS |
| 2006 | Swissgrid launches its business operations |
| 2008 | Electricity Supply Act enters into force |
| 2009 | Swissgrid takes over the grid operation |
| 2010 | Swissgrid commences activities in French-speaking Switzerland |
| 2013 | Swissgrid takes ownership of the transmission grid |
| 2014 | Swissgrid participates in the European power exchange EPEX Spot |
| 2015 | Swissgrid opens a second control centre in Prilly, near Lausanne |
| 2018 | Swissgrid acquires its new site in Aarau |
