The case in summary SV politician Ådne Naper believes that Norway must reconsider its position on the EU’s fourth energy package. Naper warns of major consequences if Norway says no to the package, including loss of industrial investment to the US and Europe. He believes the energy package can serve Norway’s interests by increasing the production of renewable energy and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Rødt is against the energy package and believes it will lead to more market management and less public governance in energy policy. Naper disagrees that Norway loses control over its own power with the EU’s energy package, and believes it will be good for access to and price of electricity in Norway. The EU has given Norway a deadline until mid-August to introduce parts of the package, but the government has confirmed that they will break the deadline. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. This spring, EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson visited Norway. In the helicopter over the water reservoirs in Telemark, she made it clear that Norway cannot wait to adopt the fourth energy market package for the EU without it having consequences. EU Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, is pushing for Norway to be connected more closely to the EU’s energy market. Here with climate and environment minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen (Ap) on a trip over the Vinje power plant in March. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news Now she gets support from an unexpected source. SV is against Norway adopting the energy market package. But Ådne Naper, central board member of the party, believes it is time to turn around. – We cannot be against everything the EU proposes, just because they come from the EU, he says. Europe has a faster pace than Norway in the development of renewable energy, Naper points out. In addition, the US is more aggressive in industrial investment. What does the EU’s fourth energy market package contain? Package number four is characterized as the most comprehensive energy package ever, and consists of eight laws that improve and tighten the current climate and energy regulations. Development of more renewable power and more energy efficiency are two key words. This means the following: • 32 per cent of the EU’s total energy consumption in 2030 must come from renewable sources. • The EU steps up the target for energy efficiency to 32.5 per cent in order to reduce energy consumption in Europe. • A strengthening of the consumer’s role and rights on the energy market • Each country must, in cooperation with neighboring countries, draw up national energy and climate plans for 2021 and 2030. Here a description of measures to achieve the various goals must be given. The package also provides a larger and more important role of Acer, which is the EU countries’ overall regulatory authority for energy. – Want to serve Norway’s interests Naper, who is one of SV’s leading power politicians, is worried about the consequences if Norway says no. He points towards the Herøya industrial area on the other side of the fjord. One of the country’s largest CO₂ emission points is located here in Porsgrunn, and comes from Yara’s ammonia factory. Herøya industrial park in Porsgrunn. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news Yara recently announced that they are putting the factory’s large electrification project on hold to cut emissions. – We should be very afraid of that. The US is running away with our investments in industry, and Europe is now gearing up for renewable energy. It will dilute the advantages Norway has in our energy and power production, he says. The so-called energy package will therefore be able to serve Norway’s interests, Naper believes. – Norway must think anew in order to increase the production of renewable energy and cut emissions of greenhouse gases. The energy package for the EU will facilitate this, among other things by hatching new methods for renewable power production, he says. No one in SV’s management has had the opportunity to comment on the matter due to the holiday period. Clear no from Red The Red party is crystal clear that Norway must say no to the EU’s fourth energy package. – The biggest problem is that it contains a number of directives and ordinances that mean more market management and less public governance in energy policy, Sofie Marhaug believes. She is Rødt’s energy policy spokesperson. Sofie Marhaug, Rødt’s energy policy spokeswoman. Photo: Ihne Pedersen Marhaug believes the energy package will place some restrictions on licensing processes in Norway. In addition, Acer, which is the EU’s energy agency, will have greater authority over the division of price areas and how the so-called bottleneck revenues are used, she points out. – That means we cannot set a maximum price for electricity, and Rødt believes that this is undemocratic and wrong. Market policy is not necessarily good climate policy, says Marhaug. Believes Norway retains control Naper disagrees that Norway is losing control over its own power with the EU’s energy package. – The most important control we need to have is the license and the authority to decide who is allowed to build power and networks in Norway. In addition to regulations for ownership and taxation. All this has been taken care of, as far as I can see, he says. – What will this mean for electricity prices for ordinary households in Norway? – If we want to ensure low electricity prices for a longer period of time, we must produce more renewable power. And if regulations and cooperation with Europe facilitate that, it will be good for both access and price of electricity in Norway, says Naper. The EU puts pressure on Energy Minister Terje Aasland, on the other hand, is happy that Naper is taking up the debate. – We have already incorporated much of this legislation into Norwegian energy policy, says Aasland, who believes that it is an advantage for Norwegian electricity customers. Terje Aasland, Minister of Energy (Ap) Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news He largely agrees with Naper that the EU’s energy directives will be an advantage for Norwegian industry, and for the work to build new renewable energy. In March, the EU gave a deadline until mid-August to introduce parts of the package, the so-called renewables directive. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) confirmed at the end of June to Aftenposten that the government will break the deadline that the EU has set for when the renewables directive must be in place. Because no more cases are submitted to the Storting before the summer, it is not practically possible to take a decision on incorporation before October at the earliest. Published 01.08.2024, at 05.43
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SV politician goes against his own party on the EU’s energy package – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
