NHO urges government action to curb rising electricity costs for businesses

NHO director Ole Erik Almlid cautioned that rising electricity rates, driven by low water reservoirs and reduced European gas inventories, could push Norwegian companies toward a situation similar to 2022. He urged the government to adopt three steps: increase assistance for energy-saving measures, ensure network tariffs remain affordable while the grid is expanded, and enhance the availability of fixed-price power contracts.

Almlid noted that the business sector has already spent 580 billion kroner on electricity since 2022, a rise of 234 billion kroner compared with the previous period. He rejected calls for a Norway-price subsidy, citing potential EEA rule conflicts, and stressed the need for more power generation capacity. The association also called for Enova to receive greater authority to fund corporate energy-efficiency projects and for Statnett’s market revenues to continue offsetting network fees.