The Power Municipality

Aurland has enormous reserves of freshwater spread out over a large mountainous area, and the exploitation of these resources has made Aurland into one of the most prosperous municipalities in Norway. The development of hydro power in Aurland started in the summer of 1969 but at that time Aurland had no road connections. So, first roads had to be built. 160 kms of construction roads were built through very difficult terrain. Where it was impossible to build the road due to the terrain, they used a method that was completely new at the time - the use of helicopters. The power development in Aurlandsdalen is made up of a large network of dams, tunnels, and power stations. The same water is used several times when it passes through the various power stations on its way down from the high mountains to the bottom of the fjord. The project was massive in a global context. 37 mountain lakes were included in the development, and 11 dams and 11 stream intakes built. When all five power plants were finished in 1989, they produced a total of 2,6 TWh of electricity. Today, this amounts to 30% of the energy group’s total annual production. Nowadays, the group is the second largest hydro energy producer in Norway, and its yearly production covers the power requirements of around 500,000 households. Most of the energy produced is sent to the capital Oslo. The natural surroundings have been well taken care of during the building of the power development, and Aurlandsdalen is one of Norway’s most popular hiking routes. It is a narrow valley with steep mountainsides and is renowned for its especially beautiful nature. Each year many visitors and locals take mountain trips in the area.