The two Labor Party mayors Kari Nessa Nordtun and Jan Oddvar Skisland in Stavanger and Kristiansand respectively are now demanding that the Støre government come up with measures against the high electricity prices. South-West Norway has for a long time experienced record high electricity prices. Now the mayors are sounding the alarm about the situation. – We hear how the business world has long struggled with this unpredictability and the high electricity bills, that the citizens are doing the same. Then it is important that measures are put in place, and it is urgent, says Nessa Nordtun to news. – Norway is part of an international electricity market. Isn’t it then understandable that you can’t just make changes overnight? – Yes, but this situation has persisted over time, and now it has also been announced that it will probably last for a long time to come. Then it is important that we actually turn the entire toolbox upside down to find the tools that can work for people and businesses here, Nessa Nordtun replies. And adds: – We manage Norwegian natural resources. It must actually benefit the citizens and our business community, with predictability and low prices. Through the State Secretary in the Ministry of Oil and Energy, Amund VIK, the government rejects that there are simple solutions to the high electricity prices. Read more of their response further down in the case. CONCERNED: Both Stavanger mayor Kari Nessa Nordtun (Ap) and Renseriet manager Tone Østbø are concerned about the high electricity prices in South-West Norway. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad – By then it was really too late Kristiansand mayor Jan Oddvar Skisland is also clear in his criticism. – Measures are needed. We see almost no other possibilities than that there needs to be an electricity support scheme for businesses during this period. Skisland says that the government is looking at all possibilities to solve the situation. Among other things, it is being considered to introduce restrictions on power exports, and the municipality has been encouraged to produce less electricity, in order to save on water. It is futile, says the Kristiansand mayor. In winter and spring, a lot of electricity was produced, according to Skisland. When the war in Ukraine made the situation in Europe unclear and the pressure in Europe greater, a lot changed, he believes. – By then it was really too late. We are sitting with reservoirs with very little water in them. As far as I understand from the meteorologists, there are no great hopes for large amounts of precipitation in the coming weeks either. LITTLE WATER: Vatnedalsvatnet is certainly not full during the day. Much of the water is already used for electricity production. Photo: Mathias Hamre The electricity bill almost tripled Tone Østbø is the general manager of the company Renseriet, which runs dry cleaners in several locations in Rogaland. She says that their electricity expenses in July this year were almost three times as high as in 2021. That corresponds to almost NOK 150,000. It shows in the results. – It cuts extremely heavily on the bottom line, especially now that we are coming out of a pandemic where we have had red numbers for two years now. Then we finally see light at the end of the tunnel, and then we enter this crisis, she says. – What is it like to run the company in a time like this? – It is scary not knowing what will happen from week to week, especially when it has been so uncertain during the pandemic. Østbø’s company has already had to make cuts. She understands that the situation is not easily resolved, but still emphasizes that she hopes for action from the politicians. – What doesn’t help is being completely calm and doing nothing, she says. EXPENSIVE ELECTRICITY: Electricity has been expensive for general manager Tone Østbø and her company, Renseriet. Photo: Odd Rune Kyllingstad Speaking to news, state secretary in the Ministry of Oil and Energy, Amund Vik (Ap), is clear that the government does not want the current electricity situation. When asked when the business community can count on measures against high electricity prices, he replies: – We are working with the situation that is developing in the electricity market on an ongoing basis. We will then come up with new measures as the situation develops, in line with the fact that we must also keep spending under control, so as not to risk faster interest rate increases. Vik also rejects that the record high prices can be eliminated by simple solutions, such as export restrictions and maximum electricity prices. – This is a crisis affecting the whole of Europe, for which there are few quick, simple solutions. We want to find a situation where we manage to keep the price at a tolerable level, says Vik. At the same time, they want to ensure that Norway has enough water in the reservoirs for the winter. Limiting electricity exports is not an easy solution either. – We are in a situation where we know that we will become dependent on importing electricity from the countries around us, if there is little water in Norway. We will only consider the export restrictions in cases where we have enough water to get through the winter. State Secretary Amund Vik (Ap). Photo: Mats Rønning
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Labor mayors go against their own government – demand new electricity measures – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
