Taxation of hydroelectric power plants: Uri and SBB reach agreement
The canton of Uri and the SBB have for some time held different legal opinions on the taxation of hydroelectric power plants. More specifically, the canton of Uri and SBB were able to reach an agreement in the tax dispute regarding the Amsteg and Wassen hydropower plants. The two power plants will go entirely to SBB.
The two hydropower plants at Amsteg and Wassen are currently 90 percent owned by SBB. The remaining shares belong to the canton of Uri and the Urner Kantonalbank. Until now, SBB has paid an annual tax loss compensation. SBB found the amount too high, but the canton of Uri found it appropriate.
Taxes and duties in the municipalities are maintained
In order to maintain an adequate tax loss compensation, the merger of Kraftwerk Amsteg AG and Kraftwerk Wassen AG with SBB AG is planned. For this purpose, the canton sells its shareholdings in these two power plant companies to SBB. The canton's energy purchase rights to the power plant productions will remain fully intact. The merger will have no impact on the employees in the power plants.
Thanks to the merger, SBB will be able to create synergies that will allow municipal taxes and charges to be maintained at a reasonable level.
The communities of Silenen, Gurtnellen and Wassen benefit most from the agreement. They are dependent on the annual compensation payments from the SBB plants in Amsteg and Wassen. If the negotiations had failed, the municipalities would have had to pay back part of the tax loss compensation of recent years.
Concession changes still open
Repayment would have placed an enormous burden on the communities. Accordingly, Hermann Epp, president of the municipality of Silenen, is relieved: "We are happy about this agreement. Failure would probably have put our municipality in a financial bind."
With the conclusion of the framework agreement, a consensus is reached and the dispute is permanently settled. However, the Land Council has the final say. The transfer of the shares in Kraftwerk Amsteg AG and Kraftwerk Wassen AG to SBB AG requires that the corresponding articles in the Reuss concession and the Furkareuss concession be amended. The concession amendments are the subject of a separate bill that will be dealt with by the Land Council in the May session. The detailed message to the Land Council is available on the Internet at www.ur.ch can be called up. The canton, SBB and the municipalities concerned hope that the approach will also find support in the Landrat.
