Northern Lights

The needs of people and society are what drive the development of the energy system. At the same time, the conditions of society affect how the energy system looks – how we transport ourselves, what we do with our time and how we spend our free time.

Change runs like a common thread through human history. The heater replaced the fireplace, the light bulb replaced the candle and email replaced the letter. New technical solutions have changed how we live and how society is organized. Our needs also give rise to new solutions. The Nordic electricity system was designed to transport electricity from hydroelectric power in the north to demand in the south. The energy system shapes and is shaped by us humans. What does the future look like for the energy system in northern Sweden? How would your energy behavior change in a future where the price of electricity varies with the weather? What would you do more of during periods with low electricity prices, what would you wait with during periods with high electricity prices?

Editors Anna Krook-Riekkola and Johan Granberg and fiction writer Andrew Dana Hudson apply science fiction to help us and others think about the future and to create a greater understanding of what an energy system with a large proportion of renewables can mean for society.

Welcome to four fictional stories that explore just this, and learn more about what our future energy system could look like.