Ola Borten Moe Gets His Own Catchy Tune – While Austrheim Defies the Report and Pushes Ahead with Nuclear Power

There's something quintessentially Norwegian about writing a light-hearted verse about a member of parliament. Not a nasty song, but rather a quirky, humorous number sung at village gatherings or over a beer in the park. Now, Ola Borten Moe has got his very own – just as the nuclear power debate heats up in full force on the west coast.

Because while the rumours about A catchy tune about Ola Borten Moe spread through political corridors, out in the coastal municipality of Austrheim, they're refusing to follow the script. A new report – which few have read with any joy – concludes the obvious: it will be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. But what did Austrheim do? They stuck their noses in the air and replied: we're carrying on regardless.

When Borten Moe cold-shouldered the atom

Let's take a quick step back. Ola Borten Moe, the former oil and energy minister from the Centre Party, once had a period where he practically had to hold onto the table to keep from laughing at nuclear power enthusiasts. In several interviews, his tone was ice-cold: too expensive, too slow, too complicated. He preferred to bet on renewables and Norwegian hydropower – a safe, old-fashioned line that went down well with many.

But then something happened. The energy crisis, electricity prices that got people riled up on the parliamentary podium, and the realisation that the sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow. Suddenly, nuclear power didn't seem so stupid after all. Yet many are left with the feeling that the man who could have got the ball rolling ten years ago chose instead to look the other way.

"This is a real dose of cold water" – but Austrheim isn't listening

Commentators in one of the country's biggest newspapers have described the situation as exactly that: a real dose of cold water. The report that came out last week didn't exactly trash the plans, but it gave them a proper cold shower. Cost estimates spiralling out of control, waste management challenges, and a timeline stretching far beyond the next election cycle.

Yet, when a local broadcaster visited Austrheim, the answers were surprisingly clear. The mayor shrugged and pointed to local enthusiasm. "We will continue with our nuclear power plans," was the message. Local businesses are cheering. This is no longer about what a report says, but about building something new – regardless of what they in Oslo might think.

• Local companies are looking at dozens of full-time jobs in research and services.
• Property tax could stabilise over time – something that lets homeowners breathe a sigh of relief.
• And then there's that catchy tune about Ola Borten Moe, which, according to word on the street, is precisely about this contradiction: The man who first said no, and then maybe yes – while the village had already started digging.

"Should have started the job long ago"

In the business sections of the media, the tone is different. There, most writers argue that nuclear power should have started the job long ago. The point is that every day we wait, the next decade becomes even more expensive. And when even Germany regrets its nuclear phase-out, and France doubles down, Norwegian hesitation comes across as petty.

Ola Borten Moe has since tried to moderate his stance. He has said he was never "principally opposed", just practically doubtful. But the catchy tune now being sung in small groups on the west coast pokes fun at precisely this: "Ola said no, Ola said yes, Ola said maybe – while Austrheim built anyway."

And that's probably where we stand today. Reports come and go. Politicians do U-turns and call it "new assessments". While out in the municipalities, where people actually need electricity and jobs, they're taking matters into their own hands. Austrheim has already started talking to technology suppliers. The plans are no longer on the drawing board – they are becoming reality.

Maybe the catchy tune about Ola Borten Moe will just be a footnote in history. But right now, with nuclear power back on the agenda, it's the small local heroes who are leading the way. And that's worth a song – or at the very least, a good, long feature story.