NORWAY Trends and Developments Contributed by: Jøran Sandvik, Ida Mattsson Sperre and Aksel Tannum, Advokatfirmaet Haavind AS
panies reassessing possible investments in pro- jects that were shelved in recent decades. More volatile power prices result in an increased focus on capacity expansion and pumped-storage
encroachment on nature. Although less noisy, commercial-scale solar power is area-intensive. It remains to be seen whether the regulatory changes will contribute to faster and more effi- cient development of solar power. Grid General There are several amendments and proposed amendments concerning grid regulations, against a background of increased demand for grid capacity along with slow development and investment in power lines, resulting in grid capacity becoming a scarce good. Addition- ally, the volatility in the energy market in recent years has prompted discussions about energy politics and thus the regulatory framework. The most important amendments and proposals are summarised in the following. Mandatory maturity assessments Amendments to regulations under the Energy Act (the Regulation on Network Regulation and the Energy Market, or the “NEM Regulation”; Forskrift om nettregulering og energimarkedet ) con- cerning maturity assessments came into force on January 1, 2025. The amendments apply to requests for capacity exceeding 1 MW or requests for increased withdrawal exceeding the same threshold. Under the new provisions, grid companies are now obligated to assess the maturity of projects when a request for capacity or increased capac- ity is submitted. The NEM Regulation provides a set of criteria that grid companies must evalu- ate. Additionally, grid companies may incorpo- rate supplementary criteria in their assessments, provided these criteria adhere to regulatory requirements, namely the principle of objec- tive and non-discriminatory practice. Based on the evaluation, grid companies may reserve a
power plants. Solar Power
Solar power currently constitutes a minor portion of the Norwegian energy system. The annual pro- duction for 2024 was approximately 517 GWh, accounting for about 0.2% of the total Norwe- gian power production. With the Norwegian Par- liament’s ambitious goal of 8 TWh annual solar power production by 2030, significant activity is required in the next few years. However, in 2024 the newly installed capacity decreased by 45% compared to 2023. The majority of Norwegian solar power is building-integrated, and it is not a requirement to obtain a licence pursuant to the Energy Act in a market that is seemingly cur- rently saturated. Regarding larger solar power projects, the NVE has only granted ten licences. Three of the licensed facilities are operational, with a total installed capacity of 13.9 MWp. A further three of the licences have been appealed to the MoE. As of 19 May, the appeal has been rejected in one case, with the remaining two still under con- sideration. Amendments to the Regulation on the Energy Act ( Energilovforskriften ), coming into force on 1 July 2025, will set the licensing threshold for solar power plants at 10 MWAC. Solar power facilities below the threshold are only subject to municipal processes. The amendment was presented as a move to free up resources at the NVE, as well as to ensure greater local self-determination of the development of solar power. The solar sec- tor has also encountered familiar conflict from onshore wind power in relation to land use and
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