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

There’s something uniquely Norwegian about writing a playful little tune about a member of parliament. Not a mean-spirited song, but more of a satirical ditty you’d hear at a local gathering or while nursing a beer in the park. Now, Ola Borten Moe has gotten his own – just as the nuclear power debate heats up for real on the west coast.

Because while rumors of A Cheeky Tune About Ola Borten Moe spread through political hallways, out in the coastal municipality of Austrheim, they’re refusing to follow the script. A brand‑new report – which few have read with any joy – concludes the obvious: It’s going to be difficult, expensive, and time‑consuming. So what did Austrheim do? They stuck their noses in the air and answered: We’re pushing ahead anyway.

When Borten Moe Turned His Back on the Atom

Let’s take a quick step back. Ola Borten Moe, the former Center Party oil and energy minister, went through a period where he could barely keep a straight face around nuclear power enthusiasts. In multiple interviews, his tone was ice‑cold: too expensive, too slow, too complicated. He preferred to stick with renewables and Norwegian hydropower – a safe, old‑school approach that resonated with many.

But then something shifted. The energy crisis, electricity prices that got people fuming from the Parliament podium, and the realization that the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. Suddenly, nuclear didn’t seem so dumb after all. Still, many are left with the feeling that the man who could have gotten the ball rolling ten years ago chose instead to look the other way.

“A Real Dose of Cold Water” – But Austrheim Isn’t Listening

Commentators in one of the country’s largest newspapers described the situation exactly like 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 dousing. Cost estimates spiraling out of control, waste‑management headaches, and a timeline stretching far beyond the next election cycle.

Yet, when a local broadcaster made the trip to Austrheim, the answers were strikingly clear. The mayor shrugged and pointed to local enthusiasm. “We’re going to keep moving forward with the nuclear power plans,” was the message. Businesses in the region are cheering. At this point, it’s no longer about what a report says – it’s about building something new, no matter what they might think in Oslo.

• Local companies see dozens of new jobs in research and service.
• Property taxes could stabilize over time – which has homeowners breathing a sigh of relief.
• And then there’s that cheeky tune about Ola Borten Moe, which, according to local lore, is exactly about this contradiction: The man who first said no, then maybe yes – while the village had already started digging.

“Should Have Started the Job Long Ago”

On the business pages of the media, the tone is different. Most writers there argue that nuclear power should have gotten started long ago. The point is that every day we wait, the next decade becomes even more expensive. And when even Germany regrets phasing out nuclear, and France doubles down, Norwegian hesitation starts to look petty.

Ola Borten Moe has since tried to soften his stance. He’s said he was never “principally opposed,” just practically skeptical. But the cheeky tune now being sung in small groups on the west coast pokes fun at exactly that: “Ola said no, Ola said yes, Ola said maybe – while Austrheim built anyway.”

And that’s pretty much where we stand today. Reports come and go. Politicians flip‑flop and call it “new assessments.” Meanwhile, out in the municipalities where people actually need power 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’re becoming reality.

Maybe the cheeky tune about Ola Borten Moe will end up as just 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 certainly worth a song – or at the very least, a good, long feature story.