– I have long said that this was going to be a big problem for Sørlandet. It should not be a business manager’s job to follow electricity prices with a magnifying glass, so here the politicians have to step in. This is what Storting representative Marius Arion Nilsen (Frp) says. Prices and interest rates rise. But in addition, the price of electricity is a bigger problem for southerners than in other parts of the country. On Saturday, the electricity price in the region is fifty times higher than in Eastern Norway. Now Nilsen has sent an open question to Minister of Business Jan Christian Vestre (Ap). – In the first instance, I have asked the minister whether the government will compensate Southern Norway for the major disadvantages we are experiencing while the state and government are raking in power exports, and whether the government is working at all to bring prices down in the south. Marius Arion Nilsen (Frp) and leader of the party, Sylvi Listhaug, visited Grimstad on Saturday to talk about electricity with voters. Photo: Victoria Marie Nordahl / news In the question, he points out that electricity area NO2 has significantly higher electricity prices than the rest of the country. This first Saturday in September, the price for this area is expected to be 84 øre/kWh, according to Europower. In Eastern Norway and in Sogn og Fjordane, the price is expected to be 1.7 øre/kWh on the same day. Average price for electricity on Saturday, according to Nord Pools. Northern Norway – 23.3 øre per kWh Southwestern Norway – 84.3 øre per kWh Central Norway – 23.3 øre per kWh Southeastern Norway – 1.7 øre per kWh Western Norway – 1.7 øre per kWh The Storting politician believes that this large price difference is a disadvantage for business. According to Statnett, a weather-based power system that we have in Norway will mean that the power situation will vary between the various regions, and there is not sufficient capacity in the power grid to equalize these differences in all situations. The network is therefore divided into five price areas. Big differences Business policy leader in the Business Association in the Kristiansand region, Roar Osmundsen, believes the price difference is worse than the price itself. – If you are going to sell a product throughout Norway, you are presenting a much worse card. The trade unions in the Kristiansand and Stavanger regions have now together started a campaign in social media where they demand that the government take responsibility for leveling out the price differences. The business association in Kristiansand and Stavanger has started a campaign where they demand that the government take action to reduce price differences on electricity in Norway. Photo: Næringsforeningen / Screenshot – Whether you sell a pizza in Kristiansand or in Bodø, it should cost the same. But the difference in the electricity price may mean that your entire profit is eaten up. Osmundsen is concerned about how this will affect small and medium-sized businesses. – We feel that goes a little too much under the radar centrally. He says a long-term solution is to build more power cables, but points out that it has not been done overnight. – The question is, after all, whether political solutions can be found until you have managed to build more power cables. Over 80 per cent of our members want Norway to become one electricity zone. Business policy spokesperson in the Business Association in the Kristiansand region, Roar Osmundsen. Photo: Svein Sundsdal / news – None of the advantages Marius Arion Nilsen (Frp) says the proximity to foreign cables and high power exports from the region mean that prices in the rest of Europe affect Southern Norway the most. – We get absolutely all the disadvantages, none of the advantages, and we cannot accept that. Businesses and households in the south have to cover the biggest bill for us exporting and importing electricity through foreign cables, says Nilsen. – When you see that you can get persistently higher electricity prices in our region for the foreseeable future, you create uncertainty and challenges for both the population and the business world. Bottlenecks are the problem Nilsen in the FRP has asked the minister of industry whether the government will compensate Southern Norway. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries asks news to contact the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, since it is responsible for the overall energy policy. – I understand that it feels unfair. We work every day to bring down electricity prices and get more power and more networks in place, writes Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap). – Several companies in Southern Norway perceive the electricity policy as unfair, and want equal electricity prices for the whole of Norway. What will the government do about it? – We have set up a committee that looks at different models for how the electricity price is formed. We will follow up on the committee’s report as soon as it is available, says Aasland. Oil and Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap) believes that establishing new price areas will not lead to anything. Photo: Alem Zebic / news He believes that a new price range will not solve the problem – It is
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– We absolutely get all the disadvantages – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
