STORY: Sweden to face soaring electricity prices for another winter: expert
DATELINE: July 4, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:53
LOCATION: Stockholm
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of a power plant in Stockholm
2. various of an electric power plant in Stockholm
3. various of energy companies of Sweden
4. various of Parliament House of Sweden
5. various of the city hall of Stockholm
6. various of street views of Stockholm

STORYLINE:

Electricity in Sweden could become exceptionally expensive for another winter, the Swedish Energy Agency said on Monday.

Martin Johansson, an energy systems expert at the Swedish Energy Agency, told Swedish Television (SVT) that in the winter of 2023, "we can expect volatile and high electricity prices."

Last winter, Swedish households and businesses faced soaring bills, with electricity prices reaching unprecedented levels due to sanctions on Russian gas, though natural gas only accounts for around 3 percent of energy consumption in the country.

Johansson said "That situation has not been resolved. We still haven't managed to replace the natural gas (that used to come) from Russia."

Although the capacity for electricity production has since increased in Sweden, weather patterns will also play a role in the cost of electricity bills, he added.

Abundant wind and rain would boost electricity production, while drought would mean lower production, Johansson said, adding that "Whether the winter is cold or mild will also make a substantial difference."

Last year, the average electricity price in Sweden was 1.45 kronor (0.13 U.S. dollars) per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This was 128 percent higher than in 2021, according to the trade organization Swedenergy.

When the electricity price reached its highest level in 2022, one kWh cost 7.52 kronor, excluding taxes and transmission fees.

To cushion households, especially homeowners with electric radiators who were the hardest hit, the Swedish government paid out around 24.4 billion kronor retroactively.

However, Minister for Energy Ebba Busch recently told Radio Sweden that Swedish people cannot count on such compensation this coming winter.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Stockholm.
(XHTV)