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Clean energy for EU islands

Sweden regulatory introduction

Sweden Regulatory Introduction

Introduction

Sweden has 267 570 islands, 984 of which are inhabited. Swedish islands cover a total area of 12 112 km² (3% of land area). Gotland is the largest island at 2,994 km², Öland comes second at 1 342 km². There are several islands with an area between 50 and 100 km² and a very high number of smaller islands. Of the total population of Sweden, 16% lives on the islands. This corresponds to 1,602,930 people. Swedish islands are treated the same as municipalities/administrative units on the mainland. The only exception is Gotland island, which is a separate region, while the rest of the islands are considered an integral part of Sweden as mainland.

Clean energy national targets

According to the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan for the period 2021-2030 (updated year 2024), Sweden does not have a national 2030 target for renewable energy, but it has set a target of reaching 100% fossil free electricity production by 2040. The share of renewable energy in relation to energy use, according to the calculation model found in the Renewable Energy Directive, increases in the base scenario from 66 percent in 2022 to 67 percent in 2030 (Figure 25). Beyond renewable electricity production, a large proportion of fossil-free electricity is also produced in the nuclear power plants in Sweden. Fossil-free electricity production from nuclear power is estimated in 2030 to amount to 52 TWh. This means that the share of fossil-free energy (nuclear power and renewable energy together) in Sweden in 2030 is expected to reach 78 percent.

Gotland’s target

Gotland Region (island) has set its own target for renewable energy. The development strategy "Our Gotland 2040" has among other things the goal of Gotland to have an energy system based on renewable energy by 2040. Gotland's delimitation as an island makes it well suited as a place to try out new solutions that can then be replicated and scaled up in the rest of Sweden and the EU.

In 2018, the Swedish Energy Agency was commissioned by the government to enable Gotland to be a pilot area that would take the lead in the transition to a sustainable energy system.

A roadmap was drawn up in 2018-2019 and the implementation of the roadmap was intended to strengthen Gotland's capacity to reach the goals earlier than the rest of Sweden. The assignment the government gave the Swedish Energy Agency, Energipilot Gotland, ended in March 2023.

The project Energipilot Gotland was divided into seven sub-areas:

The Pilot Gotland had been terminated by the government, without dialogue with Region Gotland (https://energicentrum.gotland.se/regeringen-avslutade-gotlandsuppdraget-utan-dialog-med-regionen/ ).

Municipal energy planning

According to the Municipal Energy Planning Act (1977:439), every municipality must have an up-to-date plan for the supply, distribution, and use of energy. In its planning, the municipality must promote the management of energy and work for a safe and sufficient energy supply.In such a plan there must be an analysis of the impact the activities included in the plan have on the environment, health and the management of land and water and other resources.

Factsheet

Sweden factsheet

Update - Energy and Climate Advising

The local energy and climate consultancy has for several decades been an important support for small and medium-sized companies and citizens. Major changes are now being proposed by the Swedish Energy Agency, where the regional level is removed in favour of national advice. The second of September, the Swedish Energy Agency presented its government mission to develop energy and climate advice. The Swedish Energy Agency proposes that the current energy and climate advisory be reworked and divided into a national advisory that handles incoming questions and a municipal advisory that works more strategically on outreach.

The Swedish Energy Agency's proposal means that all 10,000 – 20,000 annual incoming advisory calls must be handled nationally, which in practice would take away from the municipalities' local energy and climate advisors their main task. The investigation carried out by the Swedish Energy Agency aims to ensure that Sweden meets the requirements of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The Swedish Energy Agency assesses that the proposal is a cost-effective way to both achieve the requirements of the revised directives and increase the advice's contribution to energy efficiency, says Janina Hirsch, investigator at the Swedish Energy Agency. 

Energy Agencies Sweden (Energikontoren Sverige) fears that this proposal may reduce access to the skills needed locally to ensure that we reach set energy and climate goals. Removing the regional development leaders, and thus the entire regional level, would undermine one of the most successful parts of our energy and climate consultancy. Instead, we propose that the regional support function be strengthened and developed so that collaboration with the resources that already exist is improved. The energy agencies/offices have a designated role in contributing to the energy transition and we would therefore like to continue to be part of this important advisory system. Energikontoren Sverige (Energy Agencies Sweden) is the Swedish network of the 14 regional energy agencies whose task is to implement, coordinate and facilitate work with energy and environment policies. (https://www.energikontorensverige.se/2024/09/30/energi-och-klimatradgivningen-riskerar-att-forsamras/), (https://www.energimyndigheten.se/nyhetsarkiv/2024/forslag-utveckla-energi--och-klimatradgivningen/)

The Swedish Energy Agency’s (Energimyndigheten) report: Development opportunity for the municipalenergy and climate advisory, September 2024 (Utvecklingsmöjligheter för den kommunala energi- och klimatrådgivningen). https://www.energimyndigheten.se/remissvar-och-uppdrag/?query=energi-+och+klimatr%C3%A5dgivning&cat=1&year=&recipient=