Sweden is a global leader in de-industrialization in the name of saving the environment. Despite already having incredibly high standards and very low emissions and pollution compared to most of the rest of the world. Current per capita CO2 emissions alone are nearly one-third of what they were in the 1970s in Sweden.
However, things are not going smoothly right now. Electricity costs are rising so fast that some factories are suspending operations because they can’t afford power. Ironically, Sweden is now importing power from some of Poland’s coal-burning power plants. The same coal-burning power plants that radicals in the EU want to shut down.
To combat rising electricity costs, Sveriges Television AB [SVT], is urging people not to use vacuum cleaners and reduce the use of other appliances. This is the largest television station in Sweden, and it is operated with taxpayer dollars. (Note: Most of the largest television stations in Europe are public television stations. This is much different than the USA)
Last December, the massive Ringhals-1 reactor was shut down. It has caused a huge spike in electricity costs in certain regions. It was the fourth reactor shut down in seven years and the eighth reactor shut down in twenty years. Sweden, which was generating as much as 40% of its electricity from nuclear in the 90s, has gone from 16 to 8 reactors.
At one time, Sweden had a 100% nuclear phase-out plan to decommission all reactors by 2010. This plan was deemed non-feasible and scraped. However, Germany is phasing out all nuclear power plants. The last German nuclear reactors are scheduled to be decommissioned in 2021 and 2022. Germany will no longer generate any electricity from nuclear power after that.
Vattenfall, a state-owned Swedish company is planning to build two new reactors, but they will be built in Estonia instead of Sweden! Finland also has new nuclear plants in the works. In the near future, Sweden and Germany could be importing power from brand new nuclear plants in Estonia and Finland.
