Earlier this week, the Norwegian state-owned power company Statkraft had an information meeting with the Speaker of the Sami Parliament.
The meeting was about the Alta power plant, which is being considered for expansion.
– We all know Alta’s history. But here we talked about putting in another unit. The meeting has given us a better insight into how the Sami Parliament works, which is important for what we can achieve in the future both from existing facilities and new production, says Dag Smedbold, regional director for Region Nord in Statkraft to NRK Sápmi.
“We are at an early stage”
Statkraft is now looking at the possibilities of both expanding existing wind power on the Nordkynn peninsula in Kjøllefjord and other possible projects.
But the upgrade of the Alta power plant will not affect the Alta River, according to Smedbold.
– The operating rules and the way the river is operated will remain unchanged. We are at an early stage in terms of opinions and have sat in meetings with municipalities, the Alta Salmon Fishing Partnership and the reindeer industry.
Smedbold further explains that if a new project is to be carried out, it will be in the mountains and not in the terrain.
Protesters went on hunger strike
Building and changing in Alta can evoke strong emotions. The hydropower expansion of the Alta-Kautokeino rivers in northern Norway led during the 1970s and 1980s to the Alta conflict.
This became a fight for Sami rights where protesters went on hunger strike and chained themselves. The Norwegian police then launched their largest peacetime operation to quell the protests.