Unusually high electricity prices and the fear of electricity rationing create unrest. – The situation is now very serious. We expect the government to do what it can to avoid that we end up in a situation of electricity rationing for the winter. That is the victory of the parliamentary representative for SV, Lars Haltbrekken. Haltbrekken thinks it is urgent that the government takes action, and that it must happen during the month of July. Certainly not, the party will take the initiative to try to gather the Storting this summer. – Must take action during July Many of the largest power plants in the country are located in southern Norway. There is very little water in the reservoir here. – We believe that the government must now start making demands on power producers for a higher degree of filling of reservoirs, to ensure that we have enough water for the winter, says Haltbrekken. Last week, the filling rate was down to 45.5 per cent. NVE told news that it is close to a historical minimum in the last 20 years. Snowmelt from the mountains gives full reservoirs in the north of the country. This contributed to unusually high electricity prices this summer. According to NVE’s weekly report last week, the average price in southwestern Norway was 230 øre / kWh. – If we are content to ration on the current, it will go beyond jobs, industry and people’s everyday lives. Such a situation is not acceptable, says Haltbrekken. SV proposes four measures: Demand for higher reservoir filling in the hydropower reservoir Dei wants the government to sit down with the authorities in the UK and Germany and renegotiate the electricity agreements. They want a system where Norway can export less in periods where we need more hydropower here at home. Better electricity support schemes Energy efficiency measures Minister of Energy: – Unlikely Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland (Labor Party) calls the situation demanding, but emphasizes that electricity rationing is not yet relevant – The government is ready to implement further measures should the situation change. It is important for me to emphasize that NVE, which has the best knowledge of this, believes that the probability of rationing is very small. Aasland is clear that if electricity rationing becomes relevant, it will not be until the spring of 2023, as the situation is now. – I hope that we will avoid current rationing. We will implement measures immediately, if we believe it will be relevant. He says that he has been in dialogue with the Minister of Energy in the UK, and warned that Norway is also very dependent on regulations in the export agreements. Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland (Labor Party) says that the probability of electricity rationing is small. Photo: Bo Lilledal Andersen / news Next week he will send out letters to power producers. – It is urgent to get very clear answers that the power producers keep water back, and make sure that the water is in the water reservoir. I will be very clear on that. On Haltbrekken’s proposal to convene the Storting this summer, he replies as follows: – I am ready to come to the Storting, if the Storting requests it. FRP: – Derivation maneuver and signs of bad conscience Party leader in the Progress Party, Sylvi Listhaug, will support the proposal to SV, but think it is strange that the proposal comes first now. – That SV now comes up with this proposal is a diversionary maneuver. They are the government’s support wheel. That they are now coming on the field, I see in a sign that they have a bad conscience. She points out that Frp put forward a proposal to make demands on water reservoirs in November 2021, but was voted down. They also wanted one to go through all the agreements on foreign cables for the export of electricity. – We will support the proposal. It is about that we now have to do what we can, so that the energy nation Norway does not get into a situation where we have to ration on electricity. FRP leader Sylvi Listhaug will support the proposal to SV, but thinks it will be too late. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB – It is not common to convene the Storting in the summer Gathering the Storting will be necessary if some of the measures require a change in the law. First Vice President of the Storting, Svein Harberg (H) hopes the government will take action before the case ends up with the Storting. – We want to take it seriously, but a lot can change by the government taking action during the summer. We hope so. The Storting year starts on 1 October and ends on 30 September. But in the summer months there are no scheduled meetings. If issues arise during the summer months, the presidency must decide whether there is a need to convene the Storting. – It happens relatively rarely. The last time I think was in connection with the terrorist attack on July 22, 2011, he says.
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SV will gather the Storting this summer to avert a current crisis – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
