Swedish minister eyes energy crisis steps, blames German nuclear phase-out

You can say that, but on the power flow maps, it was quite clear. At the same time we were paying ~$1.5 USD for 1 kWh, we were exporting power to Germany (and other energy-unstable countries like Italy). Sure, better energy links inside Sweden could have helped, but part of the reason the price was being bid up so high was the exports to Germany.

How is China filling a void in local energy production? Exporting energy over those distances isn't viable.

I mean granted, China's push to expand their solar panel production has led to affordable solar panels for a lot of home owners and communities, massively boosting solar / renewable energy adoption to the point that local energy grids are at capacity. Likewise, their push to expand production of batteries and cars has led to an influx of more affordable cars into Europe.

But isn't that the wish / goal? More renewable energy, less dependence on petrol and gas and the like? It's just that both the US and Europe didn't invest and scale up as much and as fast as China was able to.

It's the same situation as Norway. We also have a lot of hydro electricity, but the politicians decided to join the European energy market, and the prices have gone through the roof.

I don't understand why the Germans closed down nuclear power plants without also building a viable alternative. There are lots of people in Sweden and Norway that don't have a lot of money, and have to skip showers and live in the cold because they can't afford to spend more on electricity.

We were promised a balanced market where the cables would be used to cover temporary spikes and drops in power production. Now it seems that we are subsidising bad German politics instead, and they have not delivered on their part of the deal.

Maybe this shows the beginning of the end of capitalism.

Sustainability is just incompatible with capitalism

Swedish government: "We'll only use electric cars!"

Also swedish government: "Please don't vacuum or do laundry on cold days when everyone has extra heaters on"

Also swedish government: "Everyone's income is public record!"

Also swedish government: "We'll give money to people with large homes. The larger the home the more money they will get, because they have more costs for heating."

Also swedish government: "This money is not income and not public record."

Sweden is a very corrupt capitalist country that is still riding the socialist image they created long ago. But that sweden died with olaf palme. Sweden today is a completely different thing.

Remember that the "corruption index" things are about perception, so if you have a good marketing department (and a police that never arrests anyone for corruption) your citizens will generally not know corruption exists.

I live in sweden. I've seen how police investigates corruption: "pin everything on the immigrant cleaner and pretend the managers who signed the budget didn't know anything about it" is the strategy.

Also the widespread racism that makes most people believe swedish people are inherently honest and immigrants are genetically dishonest helps to sell the story :)

Before you downvote me, go live 10 years in sweden, learn the language and meet people who are born there.