Norway to Open Protected Rivers to Hydropower Plants
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Loading... - Antonio Cruz
- 25 Feb 2025
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The Norwegian parliament has voted to open protected rivers to hydropower plants, a decision that has sparked outrage among conservation groups concerned about the impact on fish and wildlife. The new legislation allows for the construction of power plants larger than 1 megawatt in protected waterways if the societal benefits are deemed "significant" and the environmental consequences are considered "acceptable." This move is part of broader measures aimed at improving flood and landslide protection.
Green politician Une Bastholm condemned the proposal as “a historic attack on Norwegian nature,” highlighting the potential risks to the country’s pristine ecosystems. Environmental campaigners fear that this decision will lead to an “endless stream” of new conflicts over river development, criticizing the government for rushing the bill through without adequate public consultation or environmental impact assessments.
Truls Gulowsen, head of the Norwegian Society for the Conservation of Nature, expressed determination to protect every single watercourse, stating, “We will not give up what we have won through more than a hundred years of watercourse struggle because of an ill-considered and irresponsible hasty decision.” Norway has historically protected nearly 400 waterways from being dammed by large power plants, but these ecosystems are already under threat from intensive farming and climate change.
Protests erupted outside the Norwegian parliament, where campaigners presented a petition against hydropower development in protected waterways, gathering 25,000 signatures. Supporters of the proposal argue that critics have exaggerated the potential dangers to nature, asserting that the criteria for approval remain unchanged and that companies will still face strict assessments before receiving permits.
The proposal received backing from the Conservative party, the Progress party, the Labour party, and the Centre party, while the Christian Democrats withdrew their support due to concerns over the wording of the bill. Pål Mugaas, a spokesperson for Norske Lakseelver (Norwegian Salmon Rivers), lamented the decision, calling it “a sad day for the wild salmon and all the other species in what was supposed to be permanently protected rivers.”
The debate over renewable energy has intensified in Norwegian politics, particularly following the government’s collapse in January over disagreements related to the EU’s latest clean energy package. While Norway’s electricity grid is among the cleanest globally, thanks to its hydropower dams, the country faces challenges in balancing energy needs with environmental protections.
Political scientist Merethe Dotterud Leiren noted that while Norwegians generally favor hydropower over wind power, there are few remaining sites for large hydroelectric plants that do not encroach on protected nature. The renewable energy lobby group Fornybar Norge has expressed support for loosening river protections, emphasizing the potential benefits for flood reduction projects while acknowledging that the decision does not grant unrestricted access to construct new facilities in protected waterways.
Kjetil Lund, director of the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), cautioned that exploiting protected rivers would require significant interventions in nature, stating, “There is barely any great potential for development in protected waterways, unless you want to exploit the most beautiful, most valuable nature we have.” As Norway navigates this contentious issue, the balance between energy development and environmental conservation remains a critical challenge.
