2023-06-202022/23:FiU21 · p.2FiUEconomy & finance
A new energy policy goal
A new energy policy target for electricity production
What's at stake: The wording of the target shapes the direction of Sweden's future electricity production and determines whether nuclear power should count as an equally valid part of the solution alongside renewable energy, at a time when electricity demand is expected to rise sharply due to the electrification of industry and transport.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the current target — 100 percent renewable electricity production by 2040 — should be replaced with a new target of 100 percent fossil-free electricity production, which would also open the door to nuclear power, or whether the target should remain unchanged.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee shares the assessment that it is justified to replace the current target: the new wording clarifies the importance of technology neutrality, meaning fossil-free power sources such as nuclear power should count on equal footing with renewable energy. The committee therefore supports the government's proposal for a target of 100 percent fossil-free electricity production by 2040 and rejects the motion against it.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (S, V, C, MP)
The reservation (S, V, C, MP) considers that the government's proposal for a new target for the composition of electricity production should be rejected, in favor of keeping the current target of 100 percent renewable production; each party sets out its reasons in separate statements.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: approving what the committee proposes and rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by S, V, C, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/21/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | Yes | No 0/94/0/13 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| MP | No | No 0/15/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | No 0/20/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | explicit |
| L | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/2 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | Yes | Yes 16/0/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
| SD | Yes | Yes 62/0/0/10 | follows the plan | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
Parliament approves that the goal for the composition of electricity production in 2040 is 100 percent fossil-free electricity production. Thus Parliament adopts government bill 2022/23:99 point 14 and rejects the motion 2022/23:2387 by Magdalena Andersson et al. (S) demand 1.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen godkänner att målet för elproduktionens sammansättning år 2040 är 100 procent fossilfri elproduktion. Därmed bifaller riksdagen proposition 2022/23:99 punkt 14 och avslår motion 2022/23:2387 av Magdalena Andersson m.fl. (S) yrkande 1.
Riksdag decision: Parliament approved the government's proposal in the spring amendment budget concerning changed expenditures for the state during 2023. Changes to appropriations are made in 21 of the 27 expenditure areas in the state budget for 2023. Among other things, the temporary supplementary allowance for families with children receiving housing benefits is extended through December 31, 2023. The allowance amount shall also increase from 25 percent to 40 percent of the preliminary housing benefit. The changes shall enter into force on July 1, 2023. Another proposal concerns a new national goal for the composition of electricity production in 2040. The new goal is 100 percent fossil-free electricity production in 2040. The previous goal was 100 percent renewable electricity production in 2040. The government's proposal in the spring amendment budget means that the state's budget balance and the public sector's financial savings worsen by four billion kronor. Some of the proposals are calculated to affect the state budget also in coming years.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to reject the government's proposal on the goal for electricity production composition. (S, V, C, MP) — Reservation 1
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan binds electricity production expansion to renewable energy: the state shall invest in renewable energy and industry shall switch from fossil to renewable.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan binds electricity production expansion to renewable energy: the state shall invest in renewable energy and industry shall switch from fossil to renewable. A goal formulated as technology-neutral fossil freedom, where nuclear power is counted in the same way, does not respond to that commitment. Retaining the goal of 100 percent renewable electricity production is therefore in line with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen binder elproduktionens utbyggnad till förnybar energi: staten ska gå in med satsningar på förnybar energi och industrin ställa om från fossilt till förnybart. Ett mål formulerat som teknikneutral fossilfrihet, där kärnkraft räknas in på samma sätt, svarar inte mot det åtagandet. Att behålla målet om 100 procent förnybar elproduktion ligger därför i linje med planen.
- invest in renewable energydecisive»Produktionen av både el och exempelvis vätgas behöver öka kraftigt när vi ställer om från användning av fossila bränslen, därför behöver staten gå in med satsningar på förnybar energi.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Production of both electricity and for example hydrogen needs to increase significantly as we switch from the use of fossil fuels, therefore the state needs to invest in renewable energy.”
- fossil to renewable»Industrier ska ställa om från fossilt till förnybart med hjälp av stora statliga investeringar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Industries shall switch from fossil to renewable with the help of large state investments”
- renewable energy»satsningar på förnyelsebar energi.« (party programme ↗)“investments in renewable energy.”
- renewable in the transition»Ny teknik och användning av ekologiskt förnyelsebara produkter« (party programme ↗)“New technology and use of ecologically renewable products”
The election manifesto states that there are no sacred cows in the energy issue, that electricity production of all kinds should be expanded and that nuclear power is an important part of Swedish electricity production for a long time.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto states that there are no sacred cows in the energy issue, that electricity production of all kinds should be expanded and that nuclear power is an important part of Swedish electricity production for a long time. This is incompatible with the counter-proposal's demand to maintain a target of 100 percent renewable electricity production. The party programme's older line that renewables should replace nuclear power points in the other direction, but the election manifesto carries the most weight.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att det inte finns några heliga kor i energifrågan, att elproduktionen av alla slag ska byggas ut och att kärnkraften är en viktig del av svensk elproduktion under lång tid. Det är oförenligt med motförslagets krav på att behålla ett mål om 100 procent förnybar elproduktion. Partiprogrammets äldre linje om att förnybart ska ersätta kärnkraften pekar åt andra hållet, men valmanifestet väger tyngst.
- technology-neutral energy policydecisive»När det gäller att lösa Sveriges energibehov finns inga heliga kor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“When it comes to solving Sweden's energy needs there are no sacred cows.”
- nuclear power counted in»Kärnkraften är en viktig del av svensk elproduktion och kommer att så vara under lång tid framöver.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Nuclear power is an important part of Swedish electricity production and will remain so for a long time to come.”
- expansion of all power sources»Bygg ut elproduktionen av alla slag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Expand electricity production of all kinds.”
- renewables replace nuclear power»Miljövänlig och förnybar energi måste ersätta såväl de« (party programme ↗)“Environmentally friendly and renewable energy must replace both the”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The election manifesto's goal is 100 percent renewable energy, and the plan rejects nuclear power: no new reactors and energy supply shall be managed entirely without nuclear power.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto's goal is 100 percent renewable energy, and the plan rejects nuclear power: no new reactors and energy supply shall be managed entirely without nuclear power. The counter-proposal's demand to retain the goal of 100 percent renewable electricity production is thus the plan's own position, while a technology-neutral fossil-free goal that includes nuclear power runs counter to it. The plan instead points to rapid expansion of offshore wind power as the way forward.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestets mål är 100 procent förnybar energi, och planen avvisar kärnkraften: inga nya reaktorer och energiförsörjningen ska klaras helt utan kärnkraft. Motförslagets krav på att behålla målet om 100 procent förnybar elproduktion är därmed planens egen ståndpunkt, medan ett teknikneutralt fossilfritt mål som räknar in kärnkraft går emot den. Planen pekar i stället på snabb utbyggnad av havsbaserad vindkraft som vägen framåt.
- 100 % renewable energydecisive»100 procent förnybar energi« (2022 manifesto ↗)“100 percent renewable energy”
- no new nuclear reactors»byggandet av nya reaktorer i Sverige, eller« (party programme ↗)“construction of new reactors in Sweden, or”
- energy system without nuclear power»möjligt att klara energiförsörjningen helt utan« (party programme ↗)“possible to manage energy supply entirely without”
- rapid expansion of offshore wind»bygga ut vindkraften till havs snabbt i hela landet, med hänsyn till livet i havet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“expand wind power offshore rapidly throughout the country, with consideration for life in the sea.”
The party programme states that Sweden within less than a generation should become a society with one hundred percent renewable energy and that the vision is a society without nuclear power.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that Sweden within less than a generation should become a society with one hundred percent renewable energy and that the vision is a society without nuclear power. Maintaining the goal of one hundred percent renewable electricity production is therefore the plan's line, while a technology-neutral goal that includes nuclear power goes against it. The election manifesto's focus on emission-free electricity creates some tension, which dampens certainty.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att Sverige inom mindre än en generation ska bli ett samhälle med hundra procent förnybar energi och att visionen är ett samhälle utan kärnkraft. Att behålla målet om hundra procent förnybar elproduktion är därmed planens linje, medan ett teknikneutralt mål som räknar in kärnkraft går emot den. Valmanifestets fokus på utsläppsfri el skapar viss spänning, vilket dämpar säkerheten.
- hundred percent renewable energydecisive»Sverige har både möjlighet och skyldighet att inom mindre än en generation bli ett samhälle med hundra procent förnybar energi, helt fritt från fossil energi, där Centerpartiets vision är ett samhälle utan kärnkraft.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden has both the opportunity and the duty to become a society with one hundred percent renewable energy, completely free from fossil fuel, within less than a generation, where the Center Party's vision is a society without nuclear power.”
- renewable as benchmark»Att bryta oljeberoendet i transportsektorn och nå svenska klimatmål förutsätter att Sveriges fordonsflotta på sikt endast drivs med förnybar energi.« (party programme ↗)“Breaking oil dependence in the transport sector and achieving Swedish climate goals presupposes that Sweden's vehicle fleet in the long run is powered only by renewable energy.”
- renewable electricity production»Sverige ska bli Europas gröna batteri och exportera el till grannländer som fasar ut sitt fossilberoende.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should become Europe's green battery and export electricity to neighboring countries that are phasing out their fossil fuel dependence.”
The plan's most profiled energy commitment is to develop rather than phase out nuclear power and to build new nuclear power, and the party programme states that the state as far as possible should be neutral between energy sources that meet environmental and safety requirements.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's most profiled energy commitment is to develop rather than phase out nuclear power and to build new nuclear power, and the party programme states that the state as far as possible should be neutral between energy sources that meet environmental and safety requirements. A goal of 100 percent renewable electricity production excludes nuclear power and thus directly contradicts the plan. The counter-proposal's requirement to retain that goal is therefore rejected in substance.
Original (Swedish)
Planens mest profilerade energiåtagande är att utveckla i stället för att avveckla kärnkraften och att bygga ny kärnkraft, och partiprogrammet slår fast att staten så långt möjligt ska vara neutral mellan energislag som klarar miljö- och säkerhetskraven. Ett mål om 100 procent förnybar elproduktion utesluter kärnkraften och strider därmed direkt mot planen. Motförslagets krav att behålla det målet avvisas därför i sak.
- develop nuclear powerdecisive»Utveckla – inte avveckla – kärnkraften.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Develop – not phase out – nuclear power.”
- technology-neutral energy policy»mellan energislag som uppfyller miljö- och säkerhetskraven.« (party programme ↗)“between energy sources that meet environmental and safety requirements.”
- nuclear power for climate»Kärnkraften behövs för klimatets skull och för att minska världens utsläpp.« (party programme ↗)“Nuclear power is needed for the climate's sake and to reduce the world's emissions.”
- new nuclear power is built»Då behöver vi bygga ny kärnkraft i stället för att som de rödgröna partierna fortsätta lägga ned kärnkraften.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Then we need to build new nuclear power instead of, as the left-green parties continue to, phase out nuclear power.”
The election manifesto explicitly promises investments in nuclear power with long-term conditions, extended operation and new reactors.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly promises investments in nuclear power with long-term conditions, extended operation and new reactors. A goal of 100 percent renewable electricity production excludes nuclear power and conflicts with this commitment. The party programme's older wording about phase-out carries less weight than the manifesto, and the programme nonetheless recognizes nuclear power as an important part of electricity production.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar uttryckligen satsningar på kärnkraften med långsiktiga villkor, förlängd drift och nya reaktorer. Ett mål om 100 procent förnybar elproduktion utesluter kärnkraften och står därmed i strid med detta åtagande. Partiprogrammets äldre skrivning om utfasning väger lättare än manifestet, och programmet erkänner ändå kärnkraften som en viktig del av elproduktionen.
- expanded nuclear powerdecisive»Satsa på kärnkraften med långsiktiga villkor att utvecklas. Förläng befintliga reaktorers drift och bygg ut med nya reaktorer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Invest in nuclear power with long-term conditions for development. Extend existing reactors' operation and build new reactors.”
- nuclear power as important part»driftsäker kärnkraft kommer dock under överskådlig tid« (party programme ↗)“reliable nuclear power will however remain necessary in the foreseeable future”
- long-term energy policy»Sveriges energiförsörjning ska tryggas genom en långsiktig energipolitik med fasta spelregler, där inhemska förnybara energikällor och bränslen utgör en växande bas.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's energy supply should be secured through a long-term energy policy with fixed rules, where domestic renewable energy sources and fuels form an expanding base.”
- older phase-out line»Den svenska kärnkraften ska fasas ut ur energisystemet« (party programme ↗)“Swedish nuclear power should be phased out from the energy system”
The plan contains an explicit commitment to change the energy policy target from 100 percent renewable to 100 percent fossil-free, because nuclear power must be counted in for power supply and climate transition to be managed.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan contains an explicit commitment to change the energy policy target from 100 percent renewable to 100 percent fossil-free, because nuclear power must be counted in for power supply and climate transition to be managed. The counter-proposal wants to keep the 100 percent renewable target. The plan therefore speaks directly against the counter-proposal's demands.
Original (Swedish)
Planen innehåller ett uttryckligt åtagande att ändra det energipolitiska målet från 100 procent förnybart till 100 procent fossilfritt, eftersom kärnkraften måste räknas in för att elförsörjningen och klimatomställningen ska klaras. Motförslaget vill behålla målet om 100 procent förnybart. Planen talar därför direkt mot motförslagets krav.
- fossil-free instead of renewabledecisive»Ändra det energipolitiska målet från 100 procent förnybart till 100 procent fossilfritt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Change the energy policy target from 100 percent renewable to 100 percent fossil-free”
- technology-neutral power production»Ska vi klara det behövs en elproduktion där alla fossilfria energikällor är med och bidrar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To manage this we need power production where all fossil-free energy sources are included and contribute.”
- new nuclear power»Ny kärnkraft är lösningen för att reparera Sveriges energisystem på lång sikt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“New nuclear power is the solution to repair Sweden's energy system in the long term.”
- phase-out threatens transition»Den pågående avvecklingen av kärnkraften har lett till skenande elpriser och hotar den gröna omställningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The ongoing phase-out of nuclear power has led to soaring electricity prices and threatens the green transition.”
The election manifesto explicitly wants to set targets for fossil freedom and a target for supply security, and makes new nuclear power the core of energy policy.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly wants to set targets for fossil freedom and a target for supply security, and makes new nuclear power the core of energy policy. The plan simultaneously criticizes that the power system has been made weather-dependent through substantial wind power expansion. The counter-proposal's demands to maintain the target of 100 per cent renewable electricity production thus directly conflicts with the plan's commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet vill uttryckligen sätta upp mål för fossilfrihet och ett mål för leveranssäkerhet, och gör ny kärnkraft till kärnan i energipolitiken. Planen kritiserar samtidigt att kraftsystemet gjorts väderberoende genom kraftig vindkraftsutbyggnad. Motförslagets krav på att behålla målet om 100 procent förnybar elproduktion strider därmed direkt mot planens åtaganden.
- target for fossil freedomdecisive»Sätta upp mål för fossilfrihet och att ett mål för leveranssäkerhet införs« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Set targets for fossil freedom and that a target for supply security be introduced”
- new nuclear power»Skapa förutsättningar för ny kärnkraft i Sverige och en färdplan för byggandet av SMR-reaktorer« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Create conditions for new nuclear power in Sweden and a roadmap for building SMR reactors”
- dispatchable fossil-free electricity»Sverige behöver satsa på planerbar och fossilfri elproduktion.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs to invest in dispatchable and fossil-free electricity production.”
- against weather-dependent power system»Där man uteslutande omvandlat kraftsystemet till att bli väderberoende med en kraftig utbyggnad av vindkraften.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Where the power system has been exclusively transformed to become weather-dependent with substantial expansion of wind power.”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:FiU21)
- Committee report full text (HA01FiU21)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:2387 — med anledning av prop. 2022/23:99 Vårändringsbudget för 2023 av Magdalena Andersson m.fl. (S)
- Proposition 2022/23:99 — Vårändringsbudget för 2023
Source: The Swedish Parliament