Energy policy of Finland

Energy policy of Finland describes the politics of Finland related to energy. Energy in Finland describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in Finland. Electricity sector in Finland is the main article of electricity in Finland.

Finland is member of the EU. EU sets the minimum climate policy targets for Finland.

The annual net import of electricity has varied between 5-20% of consumption.

In the EU politics Finnish government supported the delay in the banning of the incandescent lightbulbs.

According to the national state owned energy center Motiva banning of incandescent lightbulbs will save 5.8% of households electricity (1.1 TWh) in Finland. The lightbulbs banning is not restricted in households but concern also other sectors lighting, like industry, service, agriculture and public lighting, making the total national percentage lower and total energy savings higher than the above given numbers 5.8% of electricity 1.1 TWh. Motiva calculation may have used average year consumption instead of the specific year e.g. 2006. According to the statistics of Finland, in 2006 the electricity used in households was 10.6 TWh excluding the electricity warming that was 9.1 TWh. Thus 1.1/19.7 would be ca 5.6% in 2006. Excluding electric warming it would be 10.4% of household electricity.

In the 1980s the nuclear accident costs for the nuclear plant in Finland were limited to 1.6 mrd Finnish marks (0.26 mrd €). The estimated cost of Chernobyl disaster 1986 is hundreds of bn dollars. Also the EU has kept supporting Russia in the expenses of the Tšernobyl disaster still in 2010. The general environmental policy of EU is that the polluter pays. This does not apply the external costs of nuclear power that are in Finland diluted to all national tax payers and in the case of nuclear disaster probably further to all tax payers of the European Union.

Greenpeace calculated in 2009 that any additional nuclear energy would be for electricity import not for domestic use since the electricity demand will decline from the year 2020. Climate and energy strategy 2008 did not give the reduction of CO2 emissions in 1990-2020. After environmental committee inquiry the target was told to be 5%. Only 10% of the Finnish climate emissions are from electricity. According to Pöyry Energy (2008) addition of nuclear energy would reduce Finnish climate emissions 4% (2,8 Mt) and majority of the electricity would be for export. In addition, the major nuclear companies Fortum and PVO plan new coal companies.

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