The Government has issued a negative decision on 16 applications for exploitation rights concerning offshore wind power in the exclusive economic zone. Many of the areas located in the Gulf of Bothnia overlap each other.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment issued a statement on the EIA-programme on 25 April 2024 concerning an extension to the service life of Olkiluoto 1 and Olkiluoto 2 nuclear power plant units in Eurajoki as well as an increase to their thermal output. The Ministry received from Teollisuuden Voima Oyj an environmental impact assessment programme on 5 January 2024.

The call for applications on investment aid for energy infrastructure projects under Finland’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) has been opened. Applications will be accepted until the 15th of May 2024. The aid may be granted to companies and corporations for projects, where eligible costs exceed EUR 5 million. The investment aid available for projects is approximately EUR 35 million.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has appointed a working group to prepare a proposal for reforming the Electricity Market Act to integrate the increasing electricity production and the growing load demands into the transmission network and the high-voltage distribution networks. The working group should submit its proposal to the Ministry by 29 November 2024.

Minister of Economic Affairs Wille Rydman will attend the European Commission’s Cohesion Forum in Brussels on 11–12 April 2024. The 9th Cohesion Forum will discuss the importance of the European Union’s cohesion policy for the wellbeing of regions and their inhabitants.