Renewable sources of energy should become increasingly important for Sweden, unless policies change regarding reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and phasing out of nuclear power. Greenhouse gases accumulating in the atmosphere may cause considerable climate change in northern latitudes. In the Nordic region, increases in temperature and precipitation, over the next several decades, could change the availability of renewable energy. Climate change scenarios suggest that both hydropower and biomass potentials would increase considerably in Sweden. Bioenergy from forestry could be adversely affected by rapid climate change, while short rotation biomass production would adapt more readily to changing environmental conditions. Impacts of climate change on wind and direct solar energy are difficult to assess, due to uncertainties in future changes of wind variability and cloudiness. Available information on the possible consequences of climate change provides arguments for further utilization of renewable resources in Sweden, provided that future climate uncertainties and climate-adaptive measures are considered in energy planning.
LUNDAHL, L
IMPACTS OF CLIMATIC-CHANGE ON RENEWABLE ENERGY IN SWEDEN
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