Norway renames oil, energy ministry to reflect focus on renewables
(Bloomberg) – Norway’s oil and energy ministry will streamline its name as the country looks beyond the hydrocarbons that today account for about a quarter of gross domestic product.
From Jan. 1, Terje Aasland will take the new title of Energy Minister, the government said Monday, adding that the role of the ministry remains unchanged. The department was previously called the Petroleum and Energy Ministry.
The change was announced amid a government reshuffle and comes just over a month after the government said it would rename two key energy-related offices. Norway’s Petroleum Directorate will become the Norwegian Offshore Directorate from the start of next year, while the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway is due to become the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority.
“We are right in the middle of a green transition and development of more renewable energy will continue going forward,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Monday. “That means that the name of the department that handles energy politics shouldn’t highlight any form of energy in particular.”
