In a letter of demand to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy and the Storting, the Norwegian Environmental Protection Association (NMF) will demand that the Norwegian authorities intervene against an irresponsible, export-hungry power industry. NMF demands that the Norwegian authorities, on behalf of the citizens of Norway, put their foot down and make stricter demands on the power industry that the fill level in autumn must take into account the combination of dry autumn and cold winter.
- Norwegian politicians must, on behalf of the Norwegian people, take back a greater part of the control over the power market. We cannot have a power industry that lives on happiness and piety and behaves like a loose cannon on deck, says Kurt Oddekalv, leader of Norway's Environment Protection Association.
This autumn has shown that the free export market for electricity does not work. The Norwegian power companies have exported electricity with almost wide-open power valves until well into the autumn, despite the fact that the seasonal forecasts suggested a dry autumn. NMF points out that it is no use for the power industry to hide behind the argument that they could not foresee how extremely dry and cold the autumn could be, as the communications advisor at Energi Norge Kristian Pladsen tells NRK.
- The power producers manage the Norwegian people's natural resources, or natural electricity resources. This is a resource that has been built for the Norwegian people and on which the people are completely dependent in order to survive in the outer limits of civilization, says Kurt Oddekalv.
The Norwegian Environmental Protection Association believes that for far too many years the power producers have gambled with electricity exports and have been waiting since things have mostly gone well. The same industry calls out for the need for more renewable energy from small power plants and wind turbine plants, while at the same time they operate a large export of power to the continent.
- There is basically nothing wrong with exporting electricity, but the export must be adjusted so that there is a real surplus to be exported and not just an expected one. Exports must not be based on the power companies' bottom line, or a hope that things will go well. The power companies' task in the free modern society is to a large extent to generate the largest possible profit for their owners, and no longer to be a responsible energy society actor, concludes Kurt Oddekalv, leader of the Norwegian Environmental Association.
It is important to clarify the difference between the total power production and local restrictions in the transmission network. In the last ten years, Norway has had a surplus of power when comparing exports and imports.
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