Energy in the Nordic World

In high-income countries, energy is foundational for industry, daily living, transportation, entertainment, and more. But, like other critical resources, it is limited and the availability of energy sources varies, from oilrich Norway to windswept Denmark to a geothermalpowered Iceland.

The five Nordic countries may be at the forefront of the “green transition,” but neither the history of energy nor its present trajectory are uniform in the region. Åberg and Rüdiger outline the history of energy in the Nordic countries from the industrial revolution in the nineteenth century to the present day and a more sustainable future.

Anna Åberg is a senior researcher in the history of science and technology at the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.

Mogens Rüdiger is an associate professor of energy history at Aalborg University, Denmark.