Lokal ö-drift som resiliensstrategi Småskalig vattenkraft och kommunal energiberedskap i Sverige

Abstract

Through Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and the repeated a􀆩acks on the country’s energy infrastructure, the importance of resilient energy systems for the civilian popula􀆟on has become increasingly evident. Experiences from Ukraine demonstrate that small-scale and decentralized energy solu􀆟ons play an important role in maintaining cri􀆟cal societal func􀆟ons during major disrup􀆟ons to the central power system. Today, Sweden has approximately 1,800 small-scale hydropower plants geographically distributed across the country. How are Swedish municipali􀆟es working to plan for and enable local opera􀆟on through their local hydropower plants in order to strengthen local energy preparedness? At the same 􀆟me, while the objec􀆟ve of emergency preparedness is to increase security within the energy system through enhanced resilience and robustness, conflicts can arise between two sustainability goals, environmental concerns, and the economic compe􀆟􀆟veness of energy companies. This tension is commonly described through the concept of the energy trilemma. The energy system can be understood as a mul􀆟-scalar system in which measures such as local opera􀆟on and decentralized energy produc􀆟on may create tensions between different scales of governance, where local needs for robustness can conflict with broader objec􀆟ves of efficiency. The study, which is based on qualita􀆟ve interviews with local and na􀆟onal actors within the energy sector, shows that Swedish municipali􀆟es have progressed to varying degrees in the implementa􀆟on of local island-mode opera􀆟on. The case study municipali􀆟es examined in this report, Alingsås and Lerum, are currently unable to operate their hydropower plants in island-mode. However, planning and prepara􀆟ons are underway to create local energy islands through backup power systems using diesel generators instead, despite the organiza􀆟onal and logis􀆟cal challenges associated with such solu􀆟ons. Although hydropower offers several technical advantages compared to other energy sources, such as dispatchable electricity produc􀆟on and frequency regula􀆟on capabili􀆟es, it also faces environmental challenges despite producing fossil-free electricity. The study concludes that achieving local resilience through small-scale hydropower requires stronger poli􀆟cal commitment, as well as clearer na􀆟onal coordina􀆟on of legal, organiza􀆟onal, and economic domains.