On Thursday, EU Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, visited Norway. Here she was taken on a tour of Telemark for a closer look at Norwegian hydropower. During the visit, she made statements that Norway must be connected more closely to the EU’s energy market, and that a lack of this could lead to consequences for Norway. OUT ON TOUR: EU Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, presses with Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen (Ap). Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news The Center Party’s parliamentary leader, Marit Arnstad, reacts strongly to this. – It is unheard of that an EU commissioner comes to Norway, inspects our hydropower resources and almost makes threats that Norway must build more cables and join the EU’s energy market, says Arnstad to news. What is Acer? In 2018, the Storting approved a controversial set of rules, called the EU’s third energy market package. It is often referred to as “Acer”, which is the EU’s energy agency. The agency’s task is to facilitate cooperation between the EU and the EEA countries on energy regulation. Many have been critical of EU cooperation on energy for fear that it could lead to higher electricity prices in Norway. No to the EU went to court against the state in 2018, and lost the case in the Supreme Court in 2023. The Supreme Court concluded that the Storting’s decision to link Norway to the EU’s energy agency Acer was not unconstitutional The EU has previously directed criticism at Norway for the time we are taking to introduce the energy directive from the EU. With reference to Fit for 55, the EEA Council writes that they have seen “very little progress”. They believe that the work must have “top priority” and that none of the parties “can afford” delays. – No more cables in our period Norway has become the EU’s largest supplier of gas. Foreign cables have been built to the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany to trade more power. This has raised electricity prices in Norway closer to the rest of Europe’s price level. Arnstad now says that it is not relevant to build more foreign cables. – The government has already made it clear that no more foreign cables will be built during our period, Sp-toppen replies that the EU wants more cables in the long term from Norway out to the continent. – Can more cables make electricity more expensive here at home in Norway? – Yes, we have had lower prices than the continent, and more cables will probably mean that we will have the same price level as elsewhere in Europe, which has so far been very high. – We must take care of our hydropower resources in an integrated energy system, and we must have sovereignty over that power resource, she says. Astrup: – Norway benefits from EU cooperation Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB scanpix The Conservative Party representative Nikolai Astrup says that cooperation with the EU, through the EEA agreement, has served Norway well over the past 30 years. – We are a small country with an open international economy, and we make a living from exports. That export goes to Europe. Norwegian companies have everything to gain from equal access to our largest and closest market, he says to news. – This means that we must accept the same rules as EU countries in EEA-relevant areas. It is not a threat from the EU, but it is a fact that Marit Arnstad is very well aware of, says Astrup. He says that Norway benefits from maintaining close relations with the EU, given the current geopolitical situation on the continent. – Should Norway build more foreign cables? – If Norway is going to have more cables to Europe now, then they are hybrid cables, says Astrup. Hybrid cables are power cables that carry electricity made from offshore wind to another country or to an oil platform. The difference is that with a hybrid cable, a wind turbine is located in the middle of the cable, out at sea. Illustration of a possible North Sea grid with wind farms and onshore connection (SINTEF) Illustration: SINTEF – By building hybrid cables, we ensure that offshore wind farms in the North Sea have the opportunity to sell electricity to several countries. With that, we also ensure that sufficient power comes to Norway that we need. Astrup fears that a lack of electricity could make it difficult for Norwegian companies to become green and more competitive in the coming years. – Lack of power is in the process of short-circuiting the entire climate transition. And that is a significant challenge for the industry.
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Sp-top about the EU commissioner’s Acer statements: – Unheard of – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
