The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) is Norway’s national authority for water and energy resource management, operating under the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. It administers licensing and supervision for hydropower plants, dams, river regulation, renewable energy projects, and grid infrastructure. NVE also develops and provides hydrological and energy data and analysis to support planning and decision-making, with a mandate to balance energy production, environmental considerations, and societal interests in accordance with Norwegian law.
Key responsibilities include dam safety oversight, watercourse management, coordination of environmental impact assessments, flood and landslide hazard mapping, and national flood forecasting and emergency preparedness. NVE monitors security of electricity supply, contributes to power system development planning, and conducts public consultations on projects. The Reguleringsmyndigheten for energi (RME), an independent regulatory authority organized within NVE, supervises the electricity market and network tariffs. Through these roles, NVE is a central public body for licensing and oversight of renewable energy and water resources that underpin Norway’s power-intensive industries.