Norwegian politics, The green shift
In the green shift, the old virtue of energy policy – security of supply – has been totally overlooked. This is a European problem Norway is now importing through foreign caps.
The comments expresses the writer’s opinions.
Energy policy has always been important. Traditionally, energy policy has focused on providing society with secure access to energy at affordable prices.
Green shift tracks off
This is no longer the case. In recent years, the climate issue has become the dominant factor in energy policy. Not on a global basis, but in our immediate areas. And it is the surrounding areas that first and foremost affect us.
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In Europe, the EU has pursued an offensive climate policy The EU’s green agreement, which will show the way to a climate-neutral Europe in 2050. This includes not least energy policy.
Nevertheless, at the national level, the most important thing is happening. The two main countries in this respect are Germany and the United Kingdom.
These are two large countries that are connected to Norway through power cables. Both countries have put a lot of emphasis on energy conversion, where wind power and solar energy in particular are central.
For a long time, Germany has set itself the goal of becoming Europe’s green lighthouse through a policy called Energiewende.
Problems and crises
Energiewende has been heavily marketed and politically ambitious, but still for several years has had major problems. This was pointed out by, among others, Professor Øystein Nordeng in 2018.
In Teknisk Ukeblad in the autumn of 2018, Nordeng wrote:
“The German Office of the Auditor General, Bundesrechnungshof, has in a recent report sharply criticized the country’s energy and environmental policy. In short, the criticism is that the country’s Ministry of Economy, which is responsible for energy, has lost control, that large sums have been spent on ill-considered measures, and that the results in no way meet expectations.
Also in the UK, green shift is central to energy policy, but energy prices and security of supply are also claimed to be important objectives.
Britain still stands now in an energy crisis that is serious. This attempt is too clear with international conditions such as high demand for coal and gas, but is obviously mostly a result of the country’s energy policy. All countries must ultimately take responsibility for their own energy supply.
The green shift tracks off around us.
Read also: Norway increases electricity exports sharply – now the power reservoirs are emptied of water again
Nuclear power, gas and coal
An important reason why the green shift is derailing is the reduction in the use of nuclear power. In Germany, it will be phased out completely, but the use of nuclear power will also be sharply reduced in the United Kingdom. This results in lower emission-free electricity production from this source.
In addition, periods of low wind have meant that the wind turbines have stood still.
The result is increased use of coal and gas. Coal prices have risen sharply this year, gas prices have exploded. European gas prices have about sixfold since January.
Because both coal and gas are used for electricity production, this has also led to a sharp rise in electricity prices. The result is more polluting electricity production at higher prices. In other words, both the environment and the electricity users lose.
Here you can read more comments by Kjell-Magne Rystad
I fell for Putin
On top of all this, there is now a full-fledged refugee crisis on the border between Belarus and Poland. Belarus is in the clutches of Moscow. Therefore, this crisis is largely a conflict between Russia and the EU.
At the same time, Europe is dependent on gas supplies from Russia. Without the gas, it gets cold and dark.
Russian President Vladimir Putin knows how to take advantage of this. If the conflict escalates further, he can stop gas deliveries. Since a significant portion of the gas is delivered through Belarus, Putin does not even have to do it himself, but can let Belarus’s dictator Alexander Lukashenko do it for himself.
The failed energy policy has brought Europe right into Vladimir Putin’s trap.
The energy crisis is imported through foreign capsules
Norway is an energy-rich fringe in Europe that has been separated from the European energy problems. On the contrary, problems in Europe have contributed to very high gas prices and thus large revenues for Norway.
This could still be the case if we had not built the foreign cables that supply electricity to Germany and England. For the power producers and the state, this provides pleasant income through the export of electricity at high prices.
For Norwegian consumers and industry, the opposite is true. The foreign capsules import the European energy crisis to Norway. This results in both social inequality and job losses.
This autumn, problems have become very clear. New foreign capsules export fully even though the water reservoirs in Norway are much lower than normal.
The European energy crisis is imported so that Norwegian electricity customers have to pay for it.
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A solid bankruptcy estate
The big problem in European energy policy is that what was previously always most important – that society actually needs stable and secure access to energy – seems to have been completely forgotten.
An energy policy that focuses mostly on the green shift fails the other objectives that are absolutely central. All modern societies are completely dependent on secure and affordable access to energy.
But now the situation is so serious that experts warn against power outages. If that happens, there is no doubt that the energy policy pursued has failed.
An energy policy that fails in the most fundamental way, to ensure a stable energy supply, is a bankruptcy estate.
And right now, European energy policy looks like a solid bankruptcy estate that has emerged from the attempt at green shift.
The European energy policy bankruptcy estate is imported to Norway through the foreign caps.