The Jolt: Norway feeling blue about the EU

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Introducing The Jolt, a new series from FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, which will keep you updated on all the essential energy transition stories

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Welcome to today’s episode of The Jolt by FORESIGHT Climate & Energy. In a world underpinned by climate and energy stories, it is sometimes hard to cut through the cacophony of noise and get to the news you need to hear.

This is where The Jolt comes in. Tune in on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for bite-sized updates, expert analysis and a global view.

We kick off with a look at the major global climate and energy news stories.

What do you think?

We want to hear your views on the energy transition. On Friday’s episode we will discuss the result of an ongoing poll on a particular green issue. Please vote either here or here.

Here are some of the main climate and energy stories making the news around the world:

• The US government has announced $1.3 billion in funding for three power transmission projects that will run across state lines. An in-depth study also published says that interregional transmission must double by 2035. Check out this recent episode of The Jolt for more on why grids are such a hot topic at the moment.
• Panama will hold a referendum on December 17th on whether a Canadian firm should be given a 20-year contract to operate a copper mine. Thousands of people have been protesting against the environmental and economic impact of the deal.
• Indonesia has unveiled plans to cut carbon emissions and increase renewable energy in order to access $20 billion as part of a partnership with G7 countries. 
• Ukraine could store gas reserves for the European Union, as capacity nears its limit in the bloc. Cheap rates and no customs duties make it an attractive option. EU countries are also turning to floating LNG tankers to store their reserves.
• The EU has published its updated renewable energy directive in its official journal. This means that in 20 days it will become law. Delve into the details here.
• A German offshore wind farm has signed a power purchase agreement with a green hydrogen production facility. The “first of its kind” deal will see 62.5% of electricity output sold to the hydrogen plant.
• A hydrogen pipeline between the Persian Gulf and Europe is feasible, a new study says, and that 2.5 million tonnes of green and carbon-capture-powered blue hydrogen could be transported every year. 
• Israel has issued 12 offshore oil and gas permits to six international energy companies. Scientific consensus and the United Nations are categorical in saying that new oil and gas is not compatible with global climate goals.

• Norway must abide by certain EU rules thanks to its membership of the European Economic Area. This includes energy legislation, which has caused a political spat in the Nordic country.
• A member of the ruling government coalition says it will quit if the latest round of EU energy and climate rules are added to Norway’s legal codex. A ruling by the country’s supreme court this week said that the government is legally entitled to proceed.
• Norway is Europe’s most important energy partner following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its big rethink of where power and fuel is sourced. This applies mostly to fossil fuels but is gradually becoming more and more about clean energy imports.
• Rich in hydropower in particular, Norway can provide cheap, green energy and, perhaps more crucially, offer flexibility and storage for the power market. As more renewables come online this will be a massive resource.

“We want to use our electricity here, we don’t want to necessarily sell it off ”

• The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs’ Kacper Szulecki points out that Norwegians do not necessarily agree that their country should be the “green battery of Europe”, instead they believe that the resources should be used to produce other goods like steel and aluminium.
• He adds that the ongoing political dispute over EU-influence on Norwegian energy policy will likely continue and that issues like the jurisdiction of ACER—the EU’s energy regulator agency—are still a big part of the domestic debate.

Check out the latest episode of Watt Matters, which digs into how Poland’s recent election result will affect energy and climate thinking, and stay tuned for the next episode of the Policy Dispatch, which will focus on Brazil. Our latest deep-dive looks at how district heating is a natural ally of power-to-x technology.

Audio clip credits:

Monty Python Official YouTube

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Email us at thejolt@foresightdk.com

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