Electricity price by zone — annual spot average, öre/kWh
The north/south gap widened sharply in 2021–2022 during the European energy crisis. SE4 peaked at 169 öre in 2022 — more than seven times its 2020 level.
Source: Nord Pool spot via Energimarknadsbyrån / elmarknad.se (annual averages per zone).
Timeline — nuclear and capacity in the south
- • 1999, 2005 — Barsebäck 1 and 2 (in the SE4 region) shut down by political decision.
- • 2015–2020 — Oskarshamn 1 and 2 plus Ringhals 1 and 2 retired through a mix of economic (effect tax, low prices) and age reasons.
- • 2022 → Svenska kraftnät repeatedly reports risk of capacity shortfalls in the south during cold winter days; new reactors are planned but have long lead times.
Several causes — not one
External
European gas market (Nord Stream shutdown 2022), Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, weather years (dry/wet), cold winters.
Domestic
Decommissioned nuclear in the south, limited north→south transmission capacity, rising demand (electrification of industry and transport).
What the data does NOT say
- — The spot price is not the whole bill. Grid fees, taxes and retailer mark-ups add to it — and vary regionally.
- — Price says nothing about supply security, emissions or future capacity needs.
- — Data alone cannot quantify how much each factor (gas, weather, reactors) contributed. The energy agency publishes assessments with uncertainty.
- — Norway, Finland and Germany also saw large price jumps in 2022 — Sweden is not alone in this development.