Storm Amy Drives Electricity Prices to Zero in Southern Sweden Amid Severe Weather Warnings
Storm Amy's intense winds boost wind power, pushing southern Sweden's electricity prices near zero despite ongoing storm-related warnings and risks.
- • Storm Amy is causing electricity prices in southern Sweden to average around zero on Saturday.
- • Increased wind power generation due to the storm is pressuring market prices down, including periods of negative pricing on Nord Pool.
- • Consumers won't see savings as taxes and fees keep total electricity costs above one krona per kWh.
- • SMHI warns Storm Amy could be the worst in 25 years affecting parts of Sweden and Norway with winds over 30 m/s and heavy rain.
- • Transport disruptions and potential power outages are expected due to the storm's impact, lasting through the weekend.
Key details
As Storm Amy approaches Southern Sweden, it is expected to cause a sharp drop in electricity prices, particularly in the southern region known as elområde 4 or southern Götaland. On Saturday, electricity prices there are projected to hover around zero, an unusual occurrence attributed to the storm's strong winds boosting wind turbine production. This surge in wind-generated power is likely to push the Nordic electricity market, Nord Pool, into several hours of negative pricing, a scenario last observed in September and August earlier this year. Despite this, consumer electricity bills will remain high since taxes, VAT, and additional electricity company fees keep total costs above one krona per kilowatt-hour.
Concurrently, meteorologists from SMHI warn that Storm Amy could be the worst in 25 years for parts of Norway and will bring severe weather to Sweden starting Saturday morning. Wind speeds exceeding 30 meters per second are forecasted, particularly in northwestern areas, with heavy rain and strong coastal winds disrupting transport and possibly causing power outages due to fallen trees. Train lines such as Linköping–Kalmar and Linköping–Västervik are already closed in anticipation. The storm will likely persist throughout the weekend, with conditions worsening on Saturday morning and heavy rainfall continuing through Sunday in some regions like Västernorrland.
Thus, while Storm Amy’s power generation effect is driving electricity prices down during its passage, the storm simultaneously poses substantial risks of infrastructure disruption and power outages, reflecting a complex impact on the energy landscape in southern Sweden.