MPs Maren Grøthe, Bjørn Arild Gram, and Geir Pollestad have proposed that the government study an increased electricity tax on data centres. The proposers argue that data centre power consumption is rising rapidly and that a higher tax could promote more efficient energy use while ensuring greater value creation for society as a whole. The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs is divided, with both majority and minority proposals on how to handle data centre power consumption and their role in society.
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These are the proposals in the document, not decisions. See the votes for the outcome.
The Storting asks the government to assess data centres' importance for digital security and national emergency preparedness, including the need for infrastructure under Norwegian or European control.
The Storting asks the government, as part of its study of data centres' social value, to also review ownership structures in the data centre industry and consider measures to ensure that data centres classified as critical infrastructure have Norwegian or European ownership and meet stricter transparency requirements.
The Storting asks the government to study how requirements for energy-efficient operation, use of waste heat, and renewable energy use can be integrated into the regulatory framework and licensing systems for data centres.
The Storting asks the government to study an increased electricity tax rate for data centres, including its design and effects, and return to the Storting no later than the state budget for 2027.
The Storting asks the government to study an increased electricity tax on energy use in the oil and gas sector and how the revenue could be used to finance floating offshore wind and other renewable power production.