The Swedish Government mandates authorities to promote a more flexible electricity system

In August 2022, the Swedish Government announced that four authorities had obtained the mission to develop the conditions for realizing the potential for flexibility in the electricity system, to promote electrification and minimize electricity costs.

“Demand response allows households and businesses, through smart technology and energy storage, to play an important role in the green transition and to reduce high electricity bills. Flexibility also makes it possible to connect more renewable electricity generation and help create more green jobs with faster connections for green fossil-free industries”, says Khashayar Farmanba, the Swedish Minister for Energy and Digital Development.

The benefits of the energy grid and smart technology are the accelerated transition of energy as well as lower electricity bills for consumers and businesses. One way to reduce the cost is to optimize heating, for example by storing the electricity when the price is low and use later either when the price is high or the grid is overloaded.

The government assessed that coordinated and strategic measures are required, and assigned the mission to the Swedish electricity transmission system operator Svenska Kraftnät, The Swedish Energy Market Inspectorate, The Swedish Energy Agency and Swedac. The mission consists of 5 sub-missions distributed among the authorities, including that the Energy Market Inspectorate shall promote flexibility on a local level where it will be economically efficient in the short or long term.

Read more here about the mission to promote an increased flexible electrical system.