Ingrid hosted its Energy Policy Breakfast, bringing together Centre Party energy spokesperson Rickard Nordin and Ingrid's Vincent Gliniewicz for a candid conversation on Sweden's energy future, grid policy, and the political obstacles standing in the way of a smarter energy system.
Sweden is often cited as one of the world's best-positioned countries when it comes to energy - a stable system, relatively low prices, and a production surplus. But as participants made clear, a strong starting position is no substitute for forward-looking action. "We have a head start," said Vincent Gliniewicz. "Let's keep it."
So why does Sweden have that head start?
Sweden’s advantage is no coincidence. As Rickard Nordin noted, the Swedish grid was originally "built a bit bigger than we needed to" which has made it possible to connect significantly more production and consumption in recent years as the energy transition has accelerated. That long-term mindset, he argued, is exactly what now gives Sweden its head start – and what should guide grid policy going forward. A System Built for Yesterday. A central theme was the gap between the tools available today and the solutions being deployed. Rickard Nordin was direct: "We are trying to face tomorrow's challenges with yesterday's solutions."
Flexibility: From Afterthought to Foundation
A recurring message was that flexibility - demand response, storage, smart grid management - must become a core part of system design from the outset.
Vincent drew a pointed analogy: "Right now, flexibility is like a patch we put on top when the rest doesn't work. And then you get the scraps." Nordin described a future business model where consumers pay a flat monthly rate while companies use their flexibility behind the scenes: "I will earn money, you will earn money, and everybody's happy".
The Grid as Bloodstream
Ingrid's founding premise - that the grid is the biggest bottleneck in the energy transition - found clear resonance. Nordin noted that grid operators currently earn more by building expensive new infrastructure than by optimising what already exists. "The cheapest options should be the most profitable options - right now it's the other way around".
The EU Perspective
Zooming out, the conversation touched on the risk of wasting up to 310 terawatt-hours of renewable energy by 2040 due to insufficient grid capacity. Vincent cautioned against over-indexing on physical infrastructure alone: "Interconnectors manage the space problem. Storage and flexibility manage the time problem. We need both".
The Energy Policy Breakfast is part of Ingrid's ongoing efforts to bring together policymakers, industry experts, and innovators to advance the conversation on grid modernisation and the energy transition.
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