In 2016, the Skane Municipality began the process of regularizing the 2,000-acre site so that a data center could be established at the site in the future.
In 2019, it became clear that the tech giant Google bought the site, and together they are investing more than NOK 6 billion in the data center and related infrastructure.
A data center has a huge power requirement, and Google has previously estimated it at 860 megawatts. In the first construction phase, Google has acquired 240 MW.
Statnet estimates that by 2026, the electricity surplus in Norway will be gone, and the question is where the new data center will get its power from.
– Data centers use a lot of power, but we use more and more data. Digitization Minister Karianne Tung says there will be more data.
– We need to prioritize data companies that create value for us, and Google does that, Dung insists.
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– I was robbed
Part of the answer is that Google buys electricity directly from Statnett. The same electricity goes to Norwegian homes.
BI School of Economics Professor Jørgen Randers responded that a large international group like Google is allowed to do this and believes Norwegians should feel robbed.
– I was robbed. I represent families in Norway today who are forced to pay higher electricity prices as a result of these types of measures, says Randers during Thursday's edition of NRK's ”Debatten”.
Schein's acting mayor, Jorn Inge Naas (Frp), admits they face a power challenge but wonders about Randers' reasoning.
– There can be no difference between Google and the foreign operator in Hero? There, 30 percent of our industry is owned by foreign shareholders. It works for hundreds of jobs in our area.
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We need nuclear power
At the same time, Næss will not cut down forests to make room for wind turbines to increase electricity supply. He will have a nuclear power plant to provide more power to the data center.
– You can do it in the countries around us, so why on earth shouldn't we do it in Norway. The answer is nuclear power and we should have started yesterday, says Næss.
Commentator for the web document, Kent Anderson, believes that there are several economic reasons for Google to establish itself in Norway. He believes that it is politicians who do not make power contracts and demands.
– They come because we have politicians who make no demands on Google. They get everything they point to, Anderson says.
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Skien's former mayor, Hedda Foss Five (Ap), says the plans launched in 2016 aim to provide jobs and data security.
– We asked questions, and I must assure you that we have. Because if there's one thing municipalities and the government are paying attention to, it's asking questions. Everything is carefully planned and reliable, says Five.
Google refused to comply
Google didn't want to sit in the studio with Solvang and company. In contrast, Øystein Eriksen Søreide, managing director of Abelia, was present. Abelia is the association for knowledge and technology businesses in NHO.
– We are entering a new era where digitization is absolutely critical for green transformation and the creation of new jobs, says Soright.
He believes that Norwegian, green energy, climate and hydropower are among the reasons why Google chose Skåne and Norway.
In “The Debate,” mention is made of “cannibalism in the business world,” where companies that need more energy can eat each other. The Abelia director responded to the problem as follows:
– We are moving towards a situation where there is a scarce resource, and I think politicians need to look at the ways in which we should prioritize. We cannot avoid it. This is a market with increased demand, and then prices will rise.
When it comes to Norwegian power as a scarce asset, Soreed was asked who and what to prioritize.
– Let's look at the social good: which leads? Are there jobs, CO₂ emissions, value creation? These are the questions that must be included in this discussion.
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