OUR Norway will be forced to reduce or even stop exports electricity in Europe if water levels at hydroelectric power plants remain low. In this case, Europe’s hopes that its northern neighbor will replenish some of the energy that it will lack in the face of a cold winter, perhaps without Russian natural gas. This is a decision by the centre-left government, which, under intense political pressure, announced yesterday that it is prioritizing meeting the country’s energy needs. If necessary, he will first of all seek to fill his reservoirs, given that the water level is below average for this time of year.

He said that from now on they will be turned off when the water level in the reservoirs is below the average for this time of year.

Norway is one of Europe’s largest exporters of electricity, which it often distributes over cable networks to the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark. The prospect of Europe losing its electricity supply from the Scandinavian country portends a very difficult winter for the Old Continent as it struggles to cope with a worsening energy crisis after Russian invasion of Ukraine. So far, however, Norway has been exporting electricity throughout the summer, despite water levels in many of its reservoirs at historic lows after an unusually dry winter and dry spring.

The water level in southern Norway, where most of its export cable networks are located, is at its lowest level recorded since 1996. In particular, they are 49.3% full, while the average for this time of year is 74.4%, according to the Norwegian Water Authority. While announcing the decision to stop exporting electricity once the water levels in the reservoirs are below average for this time of year, the Norwegian Prime Minister also stressed that the country could resort to measures similar to those already taken by Germany and other EU countries. The prime minister left open the possibility of dimming lights on roads and in tourist chalets in mountainous areas, although, in effect, he signaled that the likelihood of the country resorting to such extreme measures is very small even with a significant energy shortage problem.