Environmental Requirements on the Capacity Mechanism

The party programme wants to see an energy policy strategy based on renewable electricity and low climate emissions, and that investments and prices in electricity and heating infrastructure are based on socio-economic goals. The election manifesto demands that industry transitions from fossil to renewable. Demands for emission caps and a strategic reserve as fossil-free as possible therefore follow from the plan.

• renewable electricity and low emissionsdecisive»strategi som bygger på förnybar el och låga klimatutsläpp.« (party programme ↗)“strategy based on renewable electricity and low climate emissions.”
• expanded renewable electricity»En radikal utbyggnad av den förnybara elproduktionen är avgörande« (party programme ↗)“A radical expansion of renewable electricity production is crucial”
• transition from fossil»Industrier ska ställa om från fossilt till förnybart med hjälp av stora statliga investeringar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Industries shall transition from fossil to renewable with help from major state investments”
• electricity as public infrastructure»investeringar och priser behöver utgå från samhällsekonomiska mål.« (party programme ↗)“investments and prices need to be based on socio-economic goals.”

The election manifesto binds the party to Sweden becoming the world's first fossil-free welfare state and to the climate policy framework being fixed, and the party programme requires a transformed energy system. An emissions cap for the strategic reserve's procurement, with the goal of a fossil-free reserve, follows from these commitments. At the same time, the manifesto wants to expand electricity production of all kinds, which moderates but does not override the requirement for climate governance of the reserve.

• fossil-free welfare statedecisive»Sverige ska bli världens första fossilfria välfärdsnation.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall become the world's first fossil-free welfare state.”
• climate framework is fixed»Det klimatpolitiska ramverket ska ligga fast.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The climate policy framework shall be fixed.”
• transformed energy system»Vårt energisystem måste ställas om.« (party programme ↗)“Our energy system must be transformed.”
• all electricity production is needed»Bygg ut elproduktionen av alla slag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Expand 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 counter-proposal wants to set an emissions cap for the strategic reserve, preferably making it completely fossil-free. The plan demands that coal, oil and fossil gas are phased out by 2030 through a transition law and that the renewable share of electricity production reaches one hundred per cent, and that fossil subsidies are removed. Building a reserve without environmental requirements would conflict with this, even though the plan does not mention the capacity mechanism as such.

• phasing out fossil energydecisive»införa en omställningslag så att all industri fasar ut kol, olja och fossilgas till senast 2030.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“introduce a transition law so that all industry phases out coal, oil and fossil gas by 2030 at the latest.”
• one hundred per cent renewable»produktionen av förnybar energi öka så att andelen blir hundra procent« (party programme ↗)“renewable energy production increase so that the share becomes one hundred per cent”
• no fossil subsidies»fasa ut fossila subventioner.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“phase out fossil subsidies.”
• instruments based on environmental impact»Det som är bra för människor och miljö ska vara billigt, det som är dåligt ska vara dyrt och det som är alltför skadligt ska förbjudas.« (party programme ↗)“That which is good for people and environment shall be cheap, that which is bad shall be expensive and that which is too harmful shall be forbidden.”

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 states that it shall cost more to pollute and that zero-emission electricity production shall be doubled, and the party programme that Sweden within less than a generation shall be completely free from fossil energy. The counter-proposal's demand for an emissions cap on the strategic reserve, preferably a fossil-free reserve, follows directly from these commitments. The plan does not address the technical design of the capacity mechanism.

• polluter paysdecisive»Det ska kosta mer att smutsa ner.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It shall cost more to pollute.”
• completely renewable energy»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« (party programme ↗)“Sweden has both the opportunity and the duty to within less than a generation become a society with one hundred per cent renewable energy, completely free from fossil energy”
• zero-emission electricity production»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.”
• unprofitable to harm environment»Det ska alltid vara lönsamt att vara miljövårdande och olönsamt att agera miljöförstörande.« (party programme ↗)“It shall always be profitable to be environmentally responsible and unprofitable to act in an environmentally destructive way.”

The party programme establishes that for all energy sources there shall be clear environmental and safety requirements, and the election manifesto that subsidies and support to fossil fuels shall be gradually abolished and that it is the polluter who shall pay. An emissions cap for bids in a strategic reserve follows from these commitments, because support to fossil capacity would otherwise be precisely a fossil subsidy. The plan emphasizes general frameworks and neutrality between energy sources that meet the environmental requirements, which makes the conclusion inferred.

• environmental requirements on all energy sourcesdecisive»För alla energislag ska finnas tydliga miljö- och säkerhetskrav.« (party programme ↗)“For all energy sources there shall be clear environmental and safety requirements.”
• abolished fossil subsidies»Subventioner, inklusive skattelättnader och stöd, till fossila bränslen i Sverige såväl som globalt ska successivt avskaffas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Subsidies, including tax reductions and support, to fossil fuels in Sweden as well as globally shall be gradually abolished.”
• the polluter pays»Det är den som förorenar – ingen annan – som ska betala.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is the one who pollutes – nobody else – who shall pay.”
• general frameworks for emissions»behövs generella regelverk för utsläpp och säkerhet, samt ekonomiska styrmedel.« (party programme ↗)“general frameworks for emissions and safety are needed, as well as economic policy instruments.”

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 makes environmental sustainability one of three pillars of energy policy and requires that fossil fuels are phased out of the energy sector, with the goal of an ecologically sustainable energy system. Emissions requirements on the strategic reserve's bids follow from this. At the same time, the plan conditions the goal with electricity shortages and drastic price changes being avoided, which sets a limit to how strict the requirements can be.

• phasing out fossil fuelsdecisive»Fossilbränslena måste fasas ut från såväl energi- som« (party programme ↗)“Fossil fuels must be phased out from both the energy and”
• environment, security, competitiveness»De tre grundpelarna för den svenska energipolitiken ska« (party programme ↗)“The three pillars of Swedish energy policy shall”
• ecologically sustainable energy system»Målet är ett ekologiskt hållbart energisystem utan« (party programme ↗)“The goal is an ecologically sustainable energy system without”
• secure energy supply»Sveriges energiförsörjning ska tryggas genom en långsiktig energipolitik med fasta spelregler« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's energy supply shall be secured through a long-term energy policy with fixed rules”

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's task for reserve capacity is supply security: electricity production shall be procured to strengthen stability and the waste incineration tax is removed to increase predictable electricity production. A cap on emissions or requirement for renewable resources in the strategic reserve would limit just that predictability, and the plan moreover explicitly changes the goal from 100 percent renewable to 100 percent fossil-free. That the plan wants to shut down the last oil-fired power plant pulls in the opposite direction but happens through new nuclear power, not through environmental requirements on the reserve.

• stability in the electricity systemdecisive»Upphandla kraftproduktion som stärker stabiliteten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Procure electricity production that strengthens stability”
• increase predictable electricity production»Ta bort avfallsförbränningsskatten för att öka elproduktionen från kraftvärmeverken« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove the waste incineration tax to increase electricity production from combined heat and power plants”
• fossil-free not renewable»Ändra det energipolitiska målet från 100 procent förnybart till 100 procent fossilfritt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Change the energy policy goal from 100 percent renewable to 100 percent fossil-free”
• nuclear power replaces oil power»Det är ett Sverige där klimatsmart kärnkraft ger ren, stabil och billig el, och det sista oljekraftverket lagts ner.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is a Sweden where climate-smart nuclear power provides clean, stable and cheap electricity, and the last oil-fired power plant is shut down.”

According to the election manifesto, energy policy should first and foremost ensure a reliable and competitive energy supply, and symbolic politics that hinders industry and commerce should be stopped. An emissions cap that in practice excludes plannable power from the strategic reserve risks exactly the supply security the plan prioritizes most, and hits district heating which the plan explicitly wants to strengthen. The plan has goals for becoming fossil-free but subordinates them to supply security and cost-effectiveness.

• supply security firstdecisive»Vår grundläggande inställning är att energipolitiken ska vara inriktad på att säkerställa en långsiktigt konkurrenskraftig och tillförlitlig energiförsörjning, för såväl hushåll som näringsliv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our fundamental position is that energy policy should be aimed at ensuring a long-term competitive and reliable energy supply, for both households and business.”
• stop symbolic politics»Stoppa symbolpolitik som går ut över möjligheten att bedriva industri och näring« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop symbolic politics that undermines the ability to conduct industry and commerce”
• protect combined heat and power»Stärka konkurrenskraften för fjärr- och kraftvärmen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen competitiveness for district and combined heat and power”
• fossil-free and 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”