CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- The Swiss parliament's upper chamber on Wednesday approved a plan that will shutter all of its nuclear power plants over the next few decades, AFP reports. The move follows a June vote by the lower house to accept a government recommendation to get rid of the plants. Switzerland had already frozen any new construction in the wake of the Fukushima atomic disaster in Japan, the wire service noted. Instead of nuclear plants, the Swiss will develop more hydro-electric capability and might import power as well. The government predicts that phasing out nuclear energy will help businesses involved in green technology, add jobs and help hold down rising electricity prices, AFP reported.