Flexibility requirements for connection

The plan demands that the state increase its control over the infrastructure needed for climate transition and that extensive investments are made in energy efficiency, which speaks for existing grid capacity to be used optimally instead of being built out haphazardly. A flexibility requirement upon connection serves that purpose. At the same time, the plan wants the power grid to be publicly owned, which makes it questionable to give private grid owners new requirements against customers; support is therefore weak.

• state control over infrastructuredecisive»Staten måste öka sin kontroll över infrastruktur och resurser som behövs för att genomföra klimatomställningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The state must increase its control over infrastructure and resources needed to implement the climate transition.”
• investments in energy efficiency»utsläpp krävs det omfattande investeringar i energieffektivisering och« (party programme ↗)“emissions requires extensive investments in energy efficiency and”
• publicly owned power grid»Det offentliga ska ta över ansvaret för elnätet, vilket kommer leda till minskade avgifter för hushållen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The public should take over responsibility for the power grid, which will lead to reduced charges for households.”
• long-term societal planning»Därför behövs en kraftfull lagstiftning, ekonomiska styrmedel, långsiktig samhällsplanering, klimatinvesteringar« (party programme ↗)“That is why powerful legislation, economic instruments, long-term societal planning, climate investments are needed”

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 plan wants to tear down bureaucratic obstacles for more electricity and at least double the pace of grid expansion, at the same time as the costs of expansion shall be reasonable for electricity customers. A flexibility requirement that makes existing grid capacity be used better serves both goals and lies close to the plan's demands for more efficient energy use. The design of the connection obligation is, however, not addressed.

• faster grid expansiondecisive»Riv de byråkratiska hindren för mer el. Långsamma tillståndsprocesser ska snabbas på. Vi vill minst fördubbla takten i utbyggnaden av elnätet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tear down the bureaucratic obstacles for more electricity. Slow permit processes shall be speeded up. We want to at least double the pace of grid expansion.”
• reasonable grid costs»Samtidigt är det viktigt att kostnaderna för utbyggnaden av elnätet är rimliga för elkunderna, oavsett var i landet man bor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time it is important that the costs of grid expansion are reasonable for electricity customers, regardless of where in the country one lives.”
• more efficient energy use»Det förutsätter både satsningar på att utveckla alternativa energislag och satsningar på mer effektiva metoder att använda energi, för att minska den totala förbrukningen.« (party programme ↗)“This presupposes both efforts to develop alternative forms of energy and efforts on more efficient methods of using energy, to reduce total consumption.”
• expanded electricity production»Bygg ut elproduktionen av alla slag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Build out electricity production of all kinds.”

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 plan wants to expand the electricity grid, invest in energy storage and invest in a smart energy system, and the party programme wants to develop smart grids and use energy much more efficiently. A flexibility requirement at connection that allows the customer to optimize their usage and thereby utilize grid capacity better is therefore in line with the plan.

• smart energy systemdecisive»bygga ut elnäten, investera i energilager och satsa på ett smart energisystem.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“expand the electricity grid, invest in energy storage and invest in a smart energy system.”
• smart grids»ekonomiskt stöd för att främja de förnybara energislagen, utveckla smarta elnät och stimulera fler« (party programme ↗)“financial support to promote renewable energy sources, develop smart grids and encourage more”
• more efficient energy use»energin mycket effektivare än vad som sker i« (party programme ↗)“energy much more efficiently than currently occurs in”
• support for energy efficiency»införa ett kraftfullt stöd för energieffektivisering till både hushåll och industrier.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“introduce powerful support for energy efficiency for both households and industries.”

The plan places electrification and an expanded electricity grid at the centre and wants Sweden to become the world's most resource-efficient country. A flexibility requirement that ensures existing grid capacity is used optimally serves these goals, while awaiting the grid to be expanded. Simultaneously, the plan warns against expensive and complicated regulations, which suggests that the requirement must be formulated simply.

• expanded electricity griddecisive»Vi vill fördubbla produktionen av utsläppsfri el, och rusta och bygga ut elnätet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to double zero-emission electricity production, and strengthen and expand the electricity grid.”
• resource efficiency»Sverige ska bli världens mest resurseffektiva land och ekonomin mer cirkulär.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall become the world's most resource-efficient country and the economy more circular.”
• better electricity supply»Städernas elförsörjning ska förbättras« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Cities' electricity supply shall be improved”
• simple regulations»Klimatet kan inte vänta på dyra och krångliga regelverk.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The climate cannot wait for expensive and complicated regulations.”

The election manifesto states that climate transition requires twice as much electricity and wants to invest in the power system and focus on energy storage, while the party programme requires energy efficiency of the energy system. A requirement for flexibility in grid connection, so that existing grid capacity is used optimally, is an application of these commitments. The plan's main line is, however, to build away the bottlenecks and strengthen transmission, not to condition connections, which makes the support weak.

• flexibility and energy storagedecisive»investerar i kraftsystemet och satsar på energilagring« (2022 manifesto ↗)“invests in the power system and focuses on energy storage”
• energy efficiency»Energisystemets miljö- och klimateffekter ska minskas genom energieffektivisering« (party programme ↗)“The environment and climate impacts of the energy system shall be reduced through energy efficiency”
• electrification's electricity demand»Klimatomställningen kräver dubbelt så mycket el som i dag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Climate transition requires twice as much electricity as today.”
• strengthened transmission capacity»en autobahn för all ny grön el som förbättrar överföringen i hela Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“an autobahn for all new green electricity that improves transmission throughout Sweden”

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 plan does not address the obligation to connect to the power grid. The closest adjacent principle is that capacity shortages shall be met with more production and expanded transmission capacity, not with requirements that limit the customer's connection, and that an energy market shall be for the benefit of customers. That the plan values energy efficiency speaks partly in favor of the flexibility requirement, but does not support it.

• increased electricity production instead of rationingdecisive»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 to develop. Extend existing reactors' operation and expand with new reactors.”
• expanded transmission capacity»är väl utbyggd, också för att möjliggöra svensk export« (party programme ↗)“is well-developed, also to enable Swedish export”
• market for the customers' benefit»En öppen och internationell energimarknad med ökad konkurrens är till nytta för kunderna.« (party programme ↗)“An open and international energy market with increased competition is for the benefit of customers.”
• energy efficiency»Energieffektivisering är ett lönsamt och effektivt« (party programme ↗)“Energy efficiency is a profitable and effective”

The plan addresses the capacity shortage in the electricity system with more predictable production, investments in the electricity grid and shorter permit processes, because electricity demand more than doubles by 2045. Instead, letting the grid operator place flexibility requirements on the one requesting connection shifts the shortage to the customer. Where the plan wants to increase flexibility, it does so through economic incentives, not by conditioning the right to connect.

• build out the grid insteaddecisive»Investera i det svenska elnätet och korta tillståndsprocesserna för elnätsutbyggnad« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Invest in the Swedish electricity grid and shorten permit processes for electricity grid expansion”
• sharply growing electricity demand»Fram till 2045 kommer Sveriges elbehov mer än fördubblas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“By 2045, Sweden's electricity demand will more than double.”
• more fossil-free electricity production»Ska vi klara det behövs en elproduktion där alla fossilfria energikällor är med och bidrar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“If we are to manage it, we need electricity production where all fossil-free energy sources are included and contribute.”
• flexibility through incentives»Göra det billigare för privatpersoner att minska sin elkonsumtion genom att förstärka och utvidga det gröna skatteavdraget« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Make it cheaper for individuals to reduce their electricity consumption by strengthening and expanding the green tax deduction”

The plan's answer to limited grid capacity is increased plannable production through new nuclear power and more efficient and more predictable permit processes for grid expansion, not new requirements for those wishing to connect. Allowing the network operator to require customers to optimize their use risks making industrial establishments more difficult, which contradicts the plan's prioritization of Swedish industry and competitiveness and the goal of supply security. The committee provides no independent reason that the plan can speak to.

• more plannable electricity productiondecisive»Säkra tillgången till pålitlig och billig el genom satsningar på framtidens kärnkraft.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Secure access to reliable and cheap electricity through investments in future nuclear power.”
• faster grid expansion»Effektivisera och öka förutsägbarheten i tillståndsprocesserna för gruvnäring, elnätsutbyggnad och industri« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Streamline and increase predictability in permit processes for mining, grid expansion and industry”
• industry's conditions first»Prioritera svensk industri och konkurrenskraft« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prioritize Swedish industry and competitiveness”
• target for supply security»Sätta upp mål för fossilfrihet och att ett mål för leveranssäkerhet införs« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Set targets for becoming fossil-free and that a target for supply security is introduced”