284 E. MOE ET AL.
future with (some) new cables and more wind power is likely, the shortterm prospects for the green battery look worse now than in 2013. The
vested interest compromise between the power sector and the energyintensive industry no longer stands. Instead, industry interests now seem
distinctly more influential than power sector interests, and many Norwegian political parties have become deeply skeptical both about new cables
and more wind power. One consequence is that in March 2020 a potential
further cable (NorthConnect) was put indefinitely on hold by MOPE.
Climate arguments are part of the rhetoric of most of the involved
actors. However, it is a distinctly secondary—and oftentimes not even
that—argument. Instead, like in 2013, the concern of Norwegian politicians primarily resides in how to utilize Norwegian energy resources
for maximum social profitability. While on the European Continent,
the green battery idea is unambiguously perceived as environmentally
progressive, there is no united embrace of the concept in the Norwegian environmental movement. Many nature conservationists, including
several environmental organizations, ardently resist it on the grounds
that more wind power leads to the destruction of large tracts of pristine
nature for marginal climate gain. With a few exceptions, most Norwegian
actors mainly think of Norwegian renewable energy in national rather
than broader European or global terms. Hence, Norway as a green
battery for Europe is still a long way from happening.
This case study relies on literature reviews, official reports, as well as
the data from 15 interviews with Norwegian national politicians, environmental organizations, and industrial actors involved in the decisionmaking process behind the building of subsea cables and wind power
installations. Where our interviewees are cited in the text, we have
translated their statements from Norwegian to English.
Theory
Previous research (e.g., Kjær 2018; Moe 2014, 2015, 2016) has demonstrated the importance of vested interests in explaining Norwegian renewable energy policy. Most notably, wind power had to rise in the shadow
of a strong petroleum sector, whose interests to a large extent have been
embedded within the MOPE. The insistence of both MOPE and MOF
on cost-effectiveness and industrial neutrality as a compass for industrial
and energy policy, and the existence of large reservoirs of hydropower,
meant that wind power stood little chance of expanding.
future with (some) new cables and more wind power is likely, the shortterm prospects for the green battery look worse now than in 2013. The
vested interest compromise between the power sector and the energyintensive industry no longer stands. Instead, industry interests now seem
distinctly more influential than power sector interests, and many Norwegian political parties have become deeply skeptical both about new cables
and more wind power. One consequence is that in March 2020 a potential
further cable (NorthConnect) was put indefinitely on hold by MOPE.
Climate arguments are part of the rhetoric of most of the involved
actors. However, it is a distinctly secondary—and oftentimes not even
that—argument. Instead, like in 2013, the concern of Norwegian politicians primarily resides in how to utilize Norwegian energy resources
for maximum social profitability. While on the European Continent,
the green battery idea is unambiguously perceived as environmentally
progressive, there is no united embrace of the concept in the Norwegian environmental movement. Many nature conservationists, including
several environmental organizations, ardently resist it on the grounds
that more wind power leads to the destruction of large tracts of pristine
nature for marginal climate gain. With a few exceptions, most Norwegian
actors mainly think of Norwegian renewable energy in national rather
than broader European or global terms. Hence, Norway as a green
battery for Europe is still a long way from happening.
This case study relies on literature reviews, official reports, as well as
the data from 15 interviews with Norwegian national politicians, environmental organizations, and industrial actors involved in the decisionmaking process behind the building of subsea cables and wind power
installations. Where our interviewees are cited in the text, we have
translated their statements from Norwegian to English.
Theory
Previous research (e.g., Kjær 2018; Moe 2014, 2015, 2016) has demonstrated the importance of vested interests in explaining Norwegian renewable energy policy. Most notably, wind power had to rise in the shadow
of a strong petroleum sector, whose interests to a large extent have been
embedded within the MOPE. The insistence of both MOPE and MOF
on cost-effectiveness and industrial neutrality as a compass for industrial
and energy policy, and the existence of large reservoirs of hydropower,
meant that wind power stood little chance of expanding.