REsurecting this topic, I thought this article was interesting. Doesn't sound oil-free to me. sounds more like their aim is nuclear free.
Sweden: Energy provision
[EIU Viewswire]
EIU Viewswire via NewsEdge Corporation :
COUNTRY BACKGROUND
FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT
The use of nuclear power is still controversial
Energy emerged as a major political issue in Sweden in the early 1970s, when the oil crisis revealed the extent of the country's dependence on imported oil, as well as a lack of refinery capacity. As a result, such capacity was expanded, and heavy investment was also made in nuclear power to meet the high level of demand per head for electricity. Oil, hydroelectricity and nuclear power are now the country's principal sources of energy. As Sweden has no commercially exploitable oil, gas or coal reserves, it imports around 70% of its energy raw material needs, mostly in the form of oil, 65% of which originates in the North Sea. Oil consumption has fallen by around 40% since 1970, as oil, particularly that used for heating, has been replaced by electricity from nuclear power and hydropower sources, and biofuels. Hydropower and nuclear power now provide most—92% in 2003—of the country's electricity, and nuclear power contributed around 49% of domestic electricity production in that year.
In international terms Sweden produces a significant proportion of its electricity from renewable resources (around 50%), far more than the EU average of about 15%. Hydropower still remains by far the dominant renewable resource. Potential hydroelectric capacity is about 20,000 mw, of which about 80% has been developed. Future expansion has become increasingly expensive and is also opposed on environmental grounds.
As of October 2005 Sweden had ten nuclear reactors with a power capacity of 8,857 mw. No other country in the world produces as much electricity from nuclear power per head as Sweden. Commercial nuclear power began in 1972, when the first reactor went into operation, with the 12th and last opening in 1985. The use of nuclear power has long been a political issue in Sweden: following the Three Mile Island accident in the US, a referendum was held in 1980 canvassing three options for phasing out nuclear power (although none for continuing it). A majority of voters favoured running the plants until the end of their normal operating lives (approximately 25 years), and more recent opinion polls indicate that this is still largely the case. At the time of the referendum the government established a target of decommissioning Sweden's 12 nuclear reactors by 2010. However, in the mid-1990s it was recognised that this would be both economically and environmentally impossible, given the need to secure alternative viable sources of energy. An agreement reached by parliament in 1997 stipulated that plant closures should not raise electricity prices, reduce the supply of electricity to Swedish industry, or harm the environment. In 1999 the Barseback 1 reactor became the first nuclear plant to be shut down, and in May 2005 the Barseback 2 reactor also closed, following several years of negotiations. The decision to shut down the Barseback 2 reactor was largely opposed by industry groups and by a majority of Swedes, who are concerned that a lack of new power sources will lead to rising energy costs (the plant accounted for around 3.75% of Sweden’s total electricity production). The government is hopeful that a new gas pipeline between Germany and Sweden, plans to import electricity from Finland, an upgrading of existing nuclear plants and increased use of wind power, biofuels and solar energy will make up any shortfall in electricity generation. In May 2003 Sweden introduced a system of electricity certificates, with the aim of increasing the amount of electricity supplied by renewable energy sources by 10 twh/year between 2002 and 2010.
Sweden began importing natural gas in 1985. Its share of the country's total energy supply is small—around 2% in 2004—largely because the distribution network for natural gas is restricted to the south-west of Sweden (the main transmission pipeline, owned and operated by Dong Naturgas of Denmark, runs along the west coast from Trelleborg to just north of Gothenburg). In those areas where natural gas is available, it accounts for around 20% of total energy use, mainly in heating and industry. Natural gas imports come exclusively from the Tyra Field in the North Sea close to Denmark. Following the government's announcement in October 2004 regarding the proposed phasing out of nuclear power, attention is expected to focus increasingly on natural gas as the only viable short-term solution for power generation. In 2004 the Sydkraft energy group (majority-owned by the German E.ON group and renamed E.ON Sweden in September 2005) was granted permission by the government to construct a new gas pipeline between Germany and Sweden, via Denmark. This will be the country’s second supply point for natural gas, and is due to be completed by 2009. E.ON Sweden is one of a number of companies investigating the possibility of extending the existing transmission pipeline into central Sweden (including Stockholm). The natural gas market was opened up to competition in 2003, initially for those industrial consumers using more than 15m cu metres per year. A new natural gas act came into force in Sweden in July 2005, under which all non-domestic customers are entitled to choose their own supplier. This increased the number of eligible consumers from less than a dozen to about 2,600, which account for around 95% of Sweden’s total consumption of natural gas. As of May 2005 there were eight natural gas companies in Sweden (Sydkraft/E.ON Sweden was the largest, with a market share of 49% in 2004), supplying around 55,000 end-users. From July 2007 all customers will be entitled to choose their gas supplier.
Sweden participates in the Nordic electricity market
The electricity market became fully liberalised in 1996. Electricity companies from France, Finland, Germany and other countries bought large shares in Sweden's electricity operators, while Swedish firms have established a foothold abroad. Following liberalisation, Sweden began to participate in Nord Pool (the Nordic Power Exchange), the world's first international commodity exchange for electricity. Nord Pool manages electricity spot and futures markets covering Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. Liberalisation helped to lower prices for large businesses, but according to the electricity subindex of the consumer price index, prices for consumers rose on average by 5.6% per year between 1996 and 2003, although these rises may reflect in part the impact of the "green tax shift" policy adopted by the government in recent years. Household consumers also face significant regional price differences, but consumers who found themselves locked into one electricity distributor are now allowed four cost-free changes per year.