Energy issues are becoming increasingly significant in our society: climate change, security of supply and the price of electricity are already a part of the mainstream dialogue. We participate in the public dialogue and regularly publish position papers on key issues in this section.
Fortum’s goals are:
Open, competitive and transparent electricity markets both at the wholesale and retail levels:
The Nordic electricity market is enlarging to a North European market with an ultimate target of a functioning EU internal electricity market. The Nordic countries have set a goal for a common electricity retail market by 2015.
Market-based and harmonised mechanisms to protect the environment:
Emissions trading is a cornerstone of the EU’s climate policy. It establishes a price for greenhouse gas emissions and hence promotes the most efficient measures to reduce emissions.
Achieving the set renewable energy targets requires public subsidies. Market-based and harmonised subsidy systems would be most economical for society. The ideal solution would be an EU-level green certificate system.
A political and legal framework that allows investments in all methods for producing electricity and heat:
Within a given legal and political framework, including environmental requirements, companies optimise their investments in new production capacity supported by fluent permitting procedures. Energy taxation must support energy and climate policy goals; conflicting and overlapping control must not be used.
Secure and cost-efficient electricity transmission and distribution:
Integration of the electricity markets , and achieving climate and renewable energy targets cost-efficiently requires tighter collaboration between transmission system operators and investments in transmission connections between countries.
Maintaining the electricity distribution network requires significant investments, and incentives must be created for them through regulation. Market integration and international electricity retail markets also require harmonisation of legislation on national distribution.
Good quality and neutrality in customer services in sales and distribution of electricity and heat:
A good service level and real-time consumption information make it possible for customers to monitor, understand and influence their energy consumption and costs.