Distriktsvenleg, miljøvenleg og klimavenleg? Drivkrefter i utviklinga av småkraft i Hardanger

Abstract

In Norway, small scale hydro power projects developed rapidly both in scope and volume in the post-millennium period. This was the result of a particular window of time in the environmental and energy field in Norway. In the Hardanger-region this development has been particularly noticeable, and the article describes the development through analyses of the licensing process and the regional general publics. The article asks the following questions: What characterizes the development of the licensing processes? What conflicts and arguments in the public domain characterize this development, and how is this played out against the historical development of natural resource management in the Hardanger-region? The analysis shows that in the early 2000s small scale hydro power projects were framed as both climate-friendly, environmentally benign and a catalyst for rural development. However, these arguments have all become contested in later years.