The implementation of large-scale projects as high-voltage transmission lines and hydroelectric power plants raise the question of sufficient democratic legitimation. Single case decisions don’t pass through the legislative procedure. Hence, they need complementary legitimation to create acceptance which administrative procedure law is not always able to deliver. Public participation, popular votes and judicial review are proven instruments to increase legitimation. Since Switzerland is commonly considered as a pattern for good governance with citizen-friendly procedures the following article provides an overview of the respective legal framework. Legal sources in Switzerland mean both federal and cantonal law. Therefore, legal competences are a first issue to be dealt with. Afterwards, some interesting administrative procedures on federal and cantonal level are explained in detail, especially the federal standard model leading to a concentrated permission. In a kind of summary the authors try to disentangle the different types of citizens’ participation in order to inspire foreign law experts. In the concluding part the most pertinent challenges in the future are drafted focussing on the “Energy Strategy 2050” and the “Electricity grid strategy” of the Swiss government but also considering the efforts to foster renewable energies and the opposition they encounter occasionally.