Regulations relating to energy planning. (No. 1602 of 2002)

Section 1. Power system planning Coordinated power system planning in the regional and central grid system shall promote socially efficient development of the energy system and provide a platform for processing licence applications.

Section 2. Responsibility for power system plans The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate may instruct a licensee (planning coordinator) to coordinate the preparation of a long-term power system plan for a defined part of the central grid and regional grids (planning area). The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate may assign a special responsibility to a licensee to coordinate the preparation of a long-term power system plan for a defined portion of the central grid. For this special responsibility the provisions in sections 5, 6 and 7 do not apply.

Section 3. Duties of planning coordinator The planning coordinator shall annually prepare and publish an updated power system plan for its planning area. The plan shall be submitted to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate may instruct the planning coordinator to assess the grid-related consequences of specified changes in the energy system in the planning area.

Section 4. Contents of the power system plan The power system plan shall describe the process, planning assumptions, the current power supply system, future transmission conditions, and expected measures and investment. The power system plan shall present statistics with data on power generation, transmission and consumption of electrical energy, and describe factors of importance to the development of the power system in the planning area. The power system plan shall describe various alternatives for the development of the power system in the planning area. Simplified socio-economic evaluations of the alternatives shall be carried out.

Section 5. Power system meeting The planning coordinator shall invite all licensees within his planning area to a power system meeting. The meeting shall be held at least once every other year and be chaired by the planning coordinator. The power system meeting shall elect representatives to the power system committee. Minutes of the meetings shall be submitted to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate.

Section 6. Power system committee The power system committee shall assist the planning coordinator in preparing the power system plan. The power system committee shall consist of representatives elected by the power system meeting and chaired by the planning coordinator. Representatives from the system operator, the planning coordinators in adjacent planning areas, major grid customers and power supply system district managers in the planning area shall be invited to participate in at least one annual meeting of the power system committee. Pursuant to paragraph 3, the power system committee shall discuss the power system plan before it is made public. The minutes of power system committee meetings shall be submitted to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate.

Section 7. Duties of licensees Licensees of transmission and distribution installations for electrical energy shall provide the planning coordinator with information about their own installations that is necessary for preparing the power system plan, including taking the initiative to provide information about factors that may affect the development of their own and other licensees’ installations. Licensees of transmission and distribution installations for electrical energy shall inform the planning coordinator about notifications and applications for licences that have been submitted to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate for processing. Licensees of transmission and distribution installations for electrical energy may participate in the power system meeting in the planning area. Licensees of transmission and distribution installations for electrical energy may be instructed to submit specified installation and component data to the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate. Licensees of transmission and distribution installations for electrical energy shall notify the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate and planning coordinator about all changes in technical data for licensed installations. Chapter 2. Local energy planning

Section 8. Local energy planning Local energy planning shall promote knowledge about local energy supplies, stationary energy use and alternatives in this area, thereby contributing to a socially efficient development of the energy system.

Section 9. Responsibility for local energy plans Local area licensees shall prepare local energy plans and hold meetings, cf. sections 10 and 11. Licensees with a local area licence for limited industrial areas or the like, as well as district heating licensees, shall provide information and input for the local energy plan. To this end, these licensees shall, pursuant to the first paragraph, submit information to the local area licensee about their own installations and their development potential.

Section 10. Duties of local area licensees Local area licensees shall prepare, update annually and make public an energy plan for each municipality in the licence area. The energy plan shall be submitted to the person who pursuant to section 2, first paragraph, is the planning coordinator. Each year, local area licensees shall invite representatives of the municipality and other interested energy actors to a public meeting. At the meeting, the energy plan, including alternative solutions for energy supplies in the municipality, shall be presented and discussed. The local area licensee shall prepare the minutes of the meetings and make them public. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate may instruct the local area licensee to assess the grid-related consequences of specified changes in the energy system in the licence area.

Section 11. Contents of local energy plans The energy plan shall describe the current energy system and the composition of energy in the municipality with statistics on power generation, transmission and stationary use of energy. The energy plan shall contain a description of expected stationary energy demand in the municipality, broken down by the various energy carriers and user groups. The energy plan shall describe the most relevant energy solutions for areas in the municipality including expected substantial changes in energy demand. In this respect, the local area licensee shall assess the possibilities for the use of district heating, flexible energy solutions, heat recovery, domestic consumption of gas, energy conservation measures in new buildings and renovations, the effect of making use of energy control systems on the demand side, etc. Chapter 3. Joint provisions

Section 12. Instructions and compulsory fines The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate may issue the instructions necessary for implementing these regulations. The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate may stipulate coercive fines for contravening instructions issued pursuant to the first paragraph.

Section 13. Exemption The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate may in special circumstances grant exemptions from these regulations.

Section 14. Entry into force These regulations enter into force 1 January 2003, with the exception of section 10, first paragraph, which enters into force on 1 January 2004.