Norway’s two-party government ended when the Centre Party abandoned the coalition this week, throwing British energy planning into doubt and exposing growing rifts over European power sharing.
Centre Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum walked out after refusing to accept three EU directives about renewable energy and efficiency standards. The move left Labour Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre with a minority government until September’s election.
"We must take back national control of electricity prices," Vedum said.
Vedum’s centrist party blames under-sea power cables, to Britain and Germany, for pushing Norwegian energy costs higher.
Norwegian Government Acts to Shield Consumes
Although outside the EU, Norway must follow energy regulations Brussels sets to maintain access to the European Economic Area.
However, when German wind turbines stopped spinning in December, last year, Norwegian electricity prices multiplied twenty-fold in seven days. The price surge sparked public outrage, especially in those southern regions, where power cables connect Norway to the UK and Continental Europe.
Støre’s government unveiled a consumer protection package: households can choose a fixed rate of 0.4 NOK per kilowatt-hour whilst Norway will block new power cables to Europe.
The fixed rate option starts October 2025, giving families more predictable bills. An average southern Norwegian household could save 2,800 NOK (246 USD) yearly under this scheme.
UK Energy Security Under Threat
Britain depends heavily on Norwegian energy.
Norway supplied 4% of UK electricity last weekend through undersea cables. Watt-Logic energy consultant Kathryn Porter warned that Oslo faces mounting pressure to cut back UK power exports. The cables help Britain cope when wind power drops, making Norwegian hydroelectric power a steady backup source.
European diplomats have bristled at Norway’s protectionist turn.
"Norway looks selfish," one EU ambassador in Oslo told reporters, noting the country's large gas export earnings. "The sentiment is as bad as I have known it."
Green Energy Plans Face New Hurdles
The timing threatens Britain’s green energy plans. Labour’s Ed Miliband wants to decarbonise the UK power grid by 2030, largely through wind power. But this strategy needs reliable backup when winds fall.
British Conservative MP Nick Timothy attacked the approach: "This shows the danger of relying on imports for our electricity while rushing to decarbonise by 2030."
Earlier this month, Britain came close to power shortages during low wind conditions. While grid operators denied any risk of blackouts, the episode brought out the UK’s growing reliance on imports. Norway’s political crisis now puts backup power in doubt.
Rising Nationalism Tests European Unity
September’s election could install a nationalist-populist coalition in Oslo, based on current polls. Such an outcome might further squeeze energy exports as Norwegian parties promise to shield voters from high prices caused by European demand for hydroelectric power.
The crisis follows other energy policy failures in Europe. Northern Ireland’s power-sharing collapsed in 2017 after a renewable heating subsidy scandal. Germany’s rushed exit from nuclear power left it burning more coal and depending on Russian gas until the Ukraine war forced a rethink.
Norway has already moved to protect domestic energy supplies. Beyond blocking new power cables, the government will cut tax on grid charges and seek Nordic cooperation to reduce price swings. It also rejected controversial EU market rules that would have integrated Norway more deeply into European power trading.
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