Norway's NVE sends revised dam safety regulation proposal to Energy Ministry

OSLO, Oct. 27 — The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) has sent a revised proposal for a new dam safety regulation to the Energy Ministry after a public consultation, proposing that the rules take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.²

NVE said in its press release that the proposal updates emergency preparedness requirements and simplifies rules for power companies and other dam owners.² Further processing now lies with the Energy Ministry, the release said.²

Under the proposal, reassessment reports on existing dams would be sent to NVE for information rather than for approval, according to NVE's summary document on the consultation.¹ NVE said dam owners hold the basic responsibility for the safety of their facilities and that it will choose which reports to review.¹

NVE dropped static water pressure as a classification criterion after consultation responses opposed it.¹ Instead, the proposal says dams in consequence classes 3 and 4 with static water pressure of less than 4 meters would follow the requirements for class 2.¹ Dams in class 0 with static water pressure of 12 meters or more would follow the requirements for class 1.¹

For class 1 facilities, technical plans would be sent to NVE for information, and construction could start immediately, according to the document.¹

Supervision and preparedness director Kristian Markegård said in the release that the proposal supports safe and socioeconomically sound management of Norway's dams.²

Requirements for risk assessments in technical plans, operating procedures, monitoring, reassessments and access prevention would not take effect before Jan. 1, 2029, the document says.¹

NVE sent the draft for public consultation on June 15, 2026, with a deadline of Sept. 15, 2026, and received 46 responses.¹