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Snorkelling for negative prices

Plugged In: the energy news podcast

Plugged In: the energy news podcast
Snorkelling for negative prices
May 07, 2026 Season 8 Episode 20
Montel News

Norway - and the Nordic power system more generally - have seen fewer instances of negative prices than their continental counterparts in recent weeks. Why has the region been “snorkelling” while others have been plumbing the depths of negative prices.

Norway’s hydropower system is under pressure after one of the coldest winters in 16 years and a prolonged period of low precipitation. Reservoir levels in southern Norway remain well below normal, raising questions about energy security, winter preparedness and the growing role of Europe’s interconnected power markets. 

But is the situation really as serious as headlines suggest?

Joined by some of the foremost experts on Norwegian hydropower and the market dynamics, together, they explore how low snowpack, dry weather patterns and shifting hydrological balances are affecting Norway’s power outlook — and why imported renewable energy from continental Europe may actually help save water in Nordic reservoirs ahead of winter.

The panel also dives into the explosion of negative power prices across Europe, the impact of Germany’s rapid solar buildout, whether batteries and grids can keep pace with renewables growth, and why some analysts believe Europe’s energy transition is entering a period of extreme volatility.

#EnergyMarkets #Norway #Hydropower #PowerMarkets #RenewableEnergy #Nordics #ElectricityPrices #NegativePrices #EnergyTransition #SolarPower #WindPower #EnergySecurity #GridInfrastructure #BatteryStorage #LNG #EuropeanEnergy #PowerTrading #WeatherRisk #HydroReservoirs #PluggedInPodcast

Host:

Richard Sverrisson – Editor-in-Chief, Montel News

Guests:

Katinka Bogaard - Founder, MD and Analyst - Volt Power Analytics

Ivan Føre Svegaarden - Head of Energy Analysis and Weather Risk Management -  TradeWpower AS 

Tor Reier Lilleholt - Head of Analysis - Insight by Volue

Editor: Alexandra Carlon

Producer: Alexandra Carlon