NORWAY

RELEVANT NATIONAL EVENTS

The Ocean Energy Bill, which regulates renewable offshore energy production, entered into force on 1 July 2010. According to this new legislation, licenses to build offshore wind, wave and tidal farms in certain far shore geographical areas cannot be given without a prior governmental process where suitable areas are identified.

As a follow up to the Ocean Energy Bill, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) identified 15 areas that could be suitable for large scale offshore wind power. More detailed “strategic consequence assessments” was finalized late 2012. In the 2016 white paper on energy policy (Meld. St. 25 2015-2016), the areas pointed out by NVE are mentioned as potentially delivering 50 TWh, fully developed. With the Parliamentary debate on the national budget for 2018, came a call from Parliament for the Government to open areas for licensing. The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy said at the end of 2017 that it will designate one or two areas that will be opened for licencing of commercial scale ocean energy production “as soon as possible”.