Switzerland is to launch negotiations on the use of reserve power plants, the government said on Wednesday, as part of plans to bolster energy security for the coming winter. The talks will be led by the federal departments for energy and economic affairs, the government said in a statement following a meeting of the Swiss Federal Council. The plan involves a total capacity of over 300 megawatts, with regulation framework for the reserve power stations to come into effect by mid-February 2023 at the latest, the statement added. Negotiations are also under way to use existing emergency generators as back-up power plants and to temporarily increase the voltage of the Bickigen-Chippis and Bassecourt-Muehleberg transmission lines.