The case in summary: Business and mayors from Agder and Rogaland were in Oslo on Tuesday to protest against the price differences in electricity. The mayors in Kristiansand and Stavanger expressed disappointment at the lack of political will to do something about the system from Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland after the meeting on Tuesday. Power zone NO2, which consists of Southern Norway and South Western Norway, has had far higher electricity prices than the rest of the country in the last six months. The high electricity prices have led to distortion of competition, bankruptcies and lost jobs. The delegation came up with concrete proposals to even out the price differences, including that the bottleneck revenues should remain in the region in which they are created. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – We received a long speech defending the electricity system. The only problem is that the system today gives persistently higher prices for our part of the country. This is what the mayor of Kristiansand, Mathias Bernander (H), says after the meeting with Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland in Oslo on Tuesday. – There wasn’t much of an answer here. Going forward, I will contact the Ministry of Industry, which actually sees that we cannot have such different framework conditions for the business world, says Bernander. Together with mayors, county mayors and businesses from Haugesund to Grenland, the so-called “NO2” area, he had made the trip to the capital in the hope of reducing the price differences on electricity in Norway. Mayor of Kristiansand, Mathias Bernander, calls today’s demonstration at the Storting a riot. Photo: Siv Kristin Sællmann / news – We need political will, in the form of electricity support and compensatory measures. Unfortunately, I don’t feel that the minister brought it up today, and that disappoints me very much, says Bernander. – Must have as few differences as possible Aasland told news that several of the requirements that were set at the meeting are work they are well underway with. One of the proposals is that the so-called bottleneck revenues, which occur when electricity is sold from one price range to another and out of the country, should remain in the region in which they are created, as well as to increase capacity in the network. – All the measures that have come up are work that we are well underway with and things that have been completed. – So you are saying that South and South-West Norway have to live with the price differences that exist now? – No, I do not accept the differences. We must have as few differences as possible between the price ranges. But to get the most equal price possible, we have to remove the physical obstacles in the network, says Aasland. Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland was handed a signature campaign to lower electricity costs in the NO2 electricity area. Photo: Leif Dalen / news – Enormous consequences It is the business associations in Stavanger and the Kristiansand region that were behind the trip to Oslo and the Stortinget. – We are traveling in with approximately 70 politicians and business leaders to tell the politicians that “enough is enough, we cannot have such huge price differences”. That’s what Trond Martin Backer said before they met the politicians on Tuesday. He is the managing director of the Business Association in the Kristiansand region. Trond Backer of the Trade Union in Kristiansand (th) together with mayor of Lindesnes Alf Erik Andersen (Frp) in the basement of the Storting. Photo: Siv Kristin Sællmann / news – It has enormous consequences for business. We have distortions of competition, bankruptcies and lost jobs, he says. The mayor of Flekkefjord, Torbjørn Klungland, was also at the Storting to protest against high electricity prices in southern Norway. – Something must be done here, and it must be done “the day before yesterday” to make this happen! Mayor of Flekkefjord Torbjørn Klungland has turned up to demonstrate at the Storting. Photo: Leif Dalen / news Demands change In addition to meeting the Minister of Oil and Energy and politicians at the Storting, they also delivered a signature campaign with 1,500 signatures. It demands that something must be done about the NO2 electricity prices, which they describe as “suffocating the business world”. – We must work actively to lower electricity costs throughout the country, and preserve clean, affordable power as a Norwegian competitive advantage. This is according to parliamentary representative for FRP Marius Arion Nilsen, who hosts the electricity campaign from the south. What do you think about electricity prices varying so much depending on where you live in the country? Have your say further down in the matter. Monthly average prices for electricity in the last six months: NO2 – the price area for Agder and Rogaland has had significantly higher spot prices for electricity than the rest of the country between May and September. In October, electricity prices made a jump in the price areas in Eastern and Western Norway, but NO2 is still the highest in the country. This is how the average price is distributed in the various power zones. Highest prices at the top: October 2023: NO2 (Southern Norway and Southwest Norway): NOK 0.50/kWhNO1 (Eastern Norway): NOK 0.43/kWhNO5 (Central part of Western Norway): NOK 0.43/kWhNO3 (Northern part of Western Norway and Mid -Norway): NOK 0.16/kWhNO4 (Northern Norway): NOK 0.16/kWhSeptember 2023: NO2 (Southern Norway and Southwestern Norway): NOK 0.58/kWhNO3 (Northern part of Western Norway and Central Norway): 0, NOK 10/kWhNO4 (Northern Norway): NOK 0.10/kWhNO1 (Eastern Norway): NOK 0.01/kWhNO5 (Central part of Western Norway): NOK 0.01/kWhAugust 2023: NO2 (Southern Norway and Southwestern Norway): 0, NOK 73/kWhNO1 (Eastern Norway): NOK 0.20/kWhNO3 (Northern part of Western Norway and Central Norway): NOK 0.20/kWhNO5 (Central part of Western Norway): NOK 0.20/kWhNO4 (Northern Norway): NOK 0.19/kWhJuly 2023: NO2 (Southern Norway and Southwest Norway): NOK 0.69/kWhNO1 (Eastern Norway): NOK 0.37/kWhNO5 (Central part of Western Norway): NOK 0.37/kWhNO3 (Northern Norway and Central Norway): NOK 0.29/kWhNO4 (Northern Norway): NOK 0.22/kWhJune 2023: NO2 (Southern Norway and Southwest Norway): NOK 0.96/kWhNO1 (Eastern Norway): NOK 0.73/kWhNO5 (Central part of Western Norway): NOK 0.73/kWhNO3 (Northern part of Western Norway and Central Norway): NOK 0.23/kWhNO4 (Northern Norway): NOK 0.22/kWhMay 2023: NO2 (Southern Norway and Southwestern Norway): 0 NOK 0.81/kWhNO1 (Eastern Norway): NOK 0.79/kWhNO5 (Central part of Western Norway): NOK 0.79/kWhNO3 (Northern part of Western Norway and Central Norway): NOK 0.32/kWhNO4 (Northern Norway) : NOK 0.22/kWhSource: NordPool Fears worsening Over the past six months, power zone NO2, which consists of Southern Norway and Southwest Norway, has had far higher electricity prices than the rest of the country. – On individual days, there have been extreme results of several thousand percent. This is what the Business Association in the Kristiansand Region writes in a press release. – To take a longer period, such as weeks 25-35 this year, the price difference between NO2 and NO5 was as much as 48 per cent, it continues. And worst of all: There is reason to fear a worsening, according to the business association. – Business cannot live with the current electricity system where the region that produces the most electricity has the highest prices. No finances to run a shop – What is terrible is that eventually there is no finances to run a shop anymore. We have not taken out a profit for three years, says Jan Albert Birkeland. He owns Nærbutikken Høllen in Søgne. He says that the expensive electricity prices “eat up everything” from profits. If it continues like this, he cannot continue to run the shop. – Electricity prices must come down to a livable level if we are to continue to have these small shops around, says Birkeland. Shop owner Jan Albert Birkeland says the electricity prices mean he is left with little profit from the shop he runs in Søgne. Photo: Leif Dalen / news Butcher Jens Eide from Lillesand has protested several times in the past against the high electricity prices. He believes electricity prices should be the same throughout Norway, and calls the current energy policy bloody unfair. – We are punished because we are located in the place in the country that is closest to the outlet for the cables, and for that reason we must pay the highest price. It is unfair. It should be the same for everyone. What do you think about electricity prices varying so much depending on where you live in the country? Hello! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue
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– Price differences are suffocating business – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
