Several parties in the Storting as well as the government react strongly to the Conservative Party’s surprise withdrawal from the offshore wind negotiations in the Storting yesterday. The Conservative Party chose yesterday to “pull the emergency brake” after it became clear that the first offshore wind project Sørlige Nordsjø II could cost taxpayers NOK 23 billion. That is 8 billion more than the estimates were previously. And thus enough for the Conservative Party to withdraw its support for the project. Instead, the party is in favor of a so-called hybrid cable, which means that electricity would partly be sent abroad and provide income. OFFSHORE WIND DISRUPTION: The Conservative Party is heavily criticized by several parties after the party surprisingly withdrew its support for the Government’s offshore wind investment. Here from the partly Norwegian-owned Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm off the British coast. Photo: Chpv/scira Offshore Energy / NTB scanpix Now SV is reaching out against the Conservative Party, which has previously supported the government’s plans. – The Conservative Party has abdicated as a climate party and as an offshore wind party. If Høyre’s proposal had been adopted, it would have meant a major delay in the offshore wind investment. That’s what SV’s experienced member of the energy committee, Lars Haltbrekken, says. – Frivolous and irresponsible The Conservative Party is acting frivolously and irresponsibly, says Haltbrekken. He is now betting on getting KrF, MDG, in addition to the government parties SV and the Labor Party on board the financing of Sørlige Nordsjø II. It is the first major offshore wind project. TWO PROJECTS: The government has decided to open Sørlige Nordsjø II west of Denmark, and Utsira north west of Haugesund. Photo: NVE – But Sørlige Nordsjø II is going to cost taxpayers NOK 23 billion after the last cost crack? – Yes, it’s a lot, but it doesn’t have to be that much. Remember this is an investment that will be very important in the years to come to ensure the strength of Norwegian industry, to ensure emission reductions and to ensure Norway jobs within this technology which is now going to take off, says Haltbrekken. – The Conservative Party sends the bill to the electricity customers, Rødt believes the entire offshore wind investment should be cancelled. But Storting representative Sofie Marhaug is critical of Høyre’s alternative with a hybrid cable where electricity is partly sent abroad. – Høyre sends the bill to electricity customers through several foreign cables and price contagion. The party can at least be a little more honest about that, says Marhaug. – Postponement for an indefinite period MDG’s parliamentary representative Une Bastholm also reacts to the Conservatives: – That the Conservatives become nervous due to increasing criticism due to costs is understandable. It is a mistake by the government not to expand Sørlig Nordsjø II with hybrid cables. But the alternative is to postpone the offshore wind development indefinitely. It should be out of the question, she says. Erna Solberg kicks back Erna Solberg denies that they have abdicated as a climate party. The proposal to the Conservative Party will give more power, and will save taxpayers enormous sums, she believes. – If we had followed the proposal we have, which we also included in the report to the Storting that the previous government had, namely that we should expand with full hybrid cable capacity to the continent, then it would have given us income instead of expenses. – What we are now negotiating in the Storting is how much we will pay for the Center Party’s aversion to the EU and cooperation towards Europe, says Solberg. She believes that it is they who have blocked the fact that hybrid cables are now being built at the same time as it is being expanded. Conservative leader Erna Solberg says she is in favor of offshore wind, and wants more of it. But that it will be less so with the government’s policy than it had been with the Conservative Party. Photo: Kristian Skårdalsmo / news – This has made this a smaller power project, a power project that can amount to over NOK 20 billion in taxpayers’ money. Where we could actually do this with profit, she says. She adds that Sørlige Norsjø is almost in Denmark. And was originally chosen so that it would also supply power to Europe. – If we had done it with a cable that also went to Europe, it would have contributed to us having income from sales at a completely different level than when you now build a cable only to Norway. – If we had only thought that it would be wired to Norway, then we would not have chosen that place to build on, because it is so far away, she concludes. Conservative party for more offshore wind Conservative Party leader Solberg is clear that the Conservative Party is in favor of more offshore wind. – We are prepared to build more offshore wind, we are prepared for floating offshore wind to also be built. Then we will have to subsidize it in some areas. But we must ensure that money is not used up where subsidies are not needed. And that we have money left for what will be our big technology promises, she says. – Is offshore wind still the number one solution to the green shift? Now there is a lot of uncertainty on many fronts here? – It is one of the solutions to the green shift. But the green shift is primarily a shift in technology in many other places as well. But we are in favor of offshore wind, we want more of it, but there will be less of it with the government’s policy than it would have been with our policy, says Solberg. She adds: – And there are limits to how much taxpayers have to pay for the Center Party blocking negotiations as a solution.
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SV with harsh criticism of the Conservative Party after turnaround on offshore wind – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
