SWEDEN'S ELECTRICITY consumption has fallen for the second straight year in 2003 while a 20% drop in hydro power production caused a drop of 8% in the overall power output compared with 2002.
Electricity consumption fell 2% to 145,300GWh with industrial consumption falling as much to 55,700GWh. Electricity production fell to 132,500GWh from 143,400GWh a year earlier as hydro production decreased to 53,000GWh due to lower water levels in reservoirs. Electricity imports rose 21% to 24,300GWh to plug part of the gap left by the drop in hydro power while electricity production at Sweden’s nuclear power plants was flat at 65,500GWh.