EU Climate and Energy Policy: New Challenges for Old Energy Suppliers

in Jakub Godzimirski (ed.) New Political Economy of Energy in Europe Power to Project, Power to Adapt, Cham: Palgrave MacMillan, pp. 73–102.

30 Pages Posted: 10 Jan 2020

See all articles by Indra Overland

Indra Overland

NUPI - Norwegian Institute of International Affairs; NUPI - Norwegian Institute for International Affairs

Date Written: 2019

Abstract

Climate policy will transform the EU energy demand mix. This has implications for the main suppliers of fossil fuels to the EU, foremost among which are Algeria, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the USA. Norway has a better starting point for adapting to changing EU energy demand than the other energy suppliers and therefore represents a best-case scenario. Whatever Norway fails to do, the other countries are even less likely to achieve. The question is whether Norway has been quick enough to exploit the opportunities to play a proactive role in the EU’s energy transition. This chapter argues that it has not, dragging its feet on natural gas vehicles, Norwegian wind power, electricity interconnectors, green battery development and mixing of hydrogen into natural gas. Some possible reasons for the tardiness are Norway’s dual resource course of oil and hydropower, carbon lock-in, energy populism, resource nationalism and blind spots in the perception of Norway’s place in international climate and energy policy.

Keywords: European Union, Climate, Energy

Suggested Citation

Overland, Indra, EU Climate and Energy Policy: New Challenges for Old Energy Suppliers (2019). in Jakub Godzimirski (ed.) New Political Economy of Energy in Europe Power to Project, Power to Adapt, Cham: Palgrave MacMillan, pp. 73–102. , Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3506580

Indra Overland (Contact Author)

NUPI - Norwegian Institute of International Affairs ( email )

Oslo
Norway

NUPI - Norwegian Institute for International Affairs ( email )

Oslo
Norway

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