Statnett warns of potential Norwegian power deficit by 2035

Statnett, Norway's grid operator, has released its Long-term Market Analysis (LMA 26) covering the period through 2060. The report warns of significant electricity consumption growth across all analyzed scenarios, driven by factors such as the electrification of transport and the establishment of data centers.

In one of the four primary scenarios, Norway could face an average annual power deficit of nearly 20 TWh by 2035. Gunnar Løvås, Statnett's director for power systems and customers, stated that the analysis underscores the necessity of expanding both the power grid and new power production. Statnett's current grid reinforcement plans are designed to facilitate a potential doubling of power consumption.

However, the report notes that the actual scale of consumption growth depends on the availability of new power production. Currently, there are few plans for new production, leading Statnett to downwardly revise its estimates for new power generation. To mitigate price differences and support industry, Statnett is undertaking significant investments to strengthen the transmission grid that connects different regions of the country.