A southern Swiss region votes on a plan to fast-track big solar parks on Alpine mountainsides

abcnews.go.com:

Voters in a southern Swiss region are casting their ballots to decide whether to allow large solar parks on their sun-baked Alpine mountainsides as part of the federal government’s push to develop renewable energies

GENEVA — Voters in a southern Swiss region cast their ballots Sunday to decide whether to allow large solar parks on their sun-baked Alpine mountainsides as part of the federal government’s push to develop renewable energy sources.

The referendum in the Valais canton centers on economic and environmental interests at a time of high and rising concerns about climate change.

It's also a noteworthy test of public opinion. “Not-in-my-backyard”-style opposition to the plan over a presumed blight on bucolic Swiss mountain vistas has made for some unusual political allies in the Alpine country.

A rejection would not torpedo solar parks entirely if the private sector wants to develop them. But a “no” would set back the region, seen as one of the sunniest and most apt for solar parks in Switzerland, against others like central Bern Oberland or eastern Graubünden for generous federal funding for such projects — up to 60% of needed financing for big solar parks.

Proponents say Switzerland benefits from hydropower — its main source of energy — mostly in the summer, and high-altitude solar parks situated above the typical cloud cover would provide a steady, renewable-energy alternative in the winter, when the country needs to import electricity. They say federal funding would speed up development of solar power.

Opposition to the plan has seen some environmental groups align with Switzerland's conservative populist party. They say solar parks would be an industrial eyesore on pristine Swiss mountains and argue that