Oil Change International, referencing Norway’s Ministry of Oil and Energy, highlighted in a briefing that electrifying the plant would add approximately 20 years to its operational life, thereby extending reliance on fossil fuels—a point critics argue contradicts Equinor’s real priorities. On the other hand, Equinor asserts that the dynamics between gas and electricity markets, along with the EU emissions quota system, ensure that electrification will ultimately lead to reduced emissions.
Framing
Ole-Anders Turi, a reindeer herder and scholar, characterizes the project as an example of strategic ignorance and a lack of political transparency. In an interview with The Ecologist, he remarked, “Norway’s welfare system remains heavily reliant on oil and gas revenues. The authorities ought to acknowledge that the electrification of Melkøya is simply a means to prolong the extraction of gas and the facility’s operation.”
“Instead of acknowledging this, they market the industry as a climate initiative. It’s an act of cowardice and a refusal to acknowledge the obvious consequences.”
Although the environmental advantages of electrifying Melkøya are contentious, many Sámi contend that opposition to green infrastructure is often misrepresented as resistance to ‘progress’. Per-Olof Nutti, president of the Saami Council, cautioned in an Amnesty International report that projects labeled as ‘green transition’ seeking access to Sámi lands frequently portray Sámi opposition as hindrance to climate solutions.
Activists note that such misrepresentations can lead to harm, manifesting as social pressure, online hate speech, and racism against Sámi communities.
Claustrophobia
Wind farms are frequently reported to interfere with reindeer behavior, affecting their grazing, migration, and calving patterns. Torvald Falch, a special advisor to the Sámi Parliament, told The Ecologist that these disruptions are well documented through lived experiences, impact assessments, and expert testimonies.
Sámi communities face a dual challenge as the Arctic is warming much faster than the global average. Younger herders have never experienced a ‘normal’ year, straining the adaptability of intertwined human and animal communities.
Simultaneously, Sápmi is increasingly used as a testing ground for large-scale green energy projects touted as solutions to global warming.
Reindeer herders have traditionally managed environmental unpredictability with extensive land-based knowledge and seasonal movement. However, Ole-Anders Turi, whose family has grazed reindeer in the region for generations, notes that the expanding array of developments is diminishing this adaptability.
“Mobility is crucial for the herds’ survival,” he said. “Wind power installations, power lines, and roads undermine that sense of security.”
Historical
Turi points out the irony in the theoretical celebration of Sámi knowledge while it is practically constrained. Roads, mines, power lines, and tourism infrastructure increasingly fragment and demarcate the landscape.
According to Statistics Norway, about 89 percent of reindeer herding areas in Sápmi are already impacted by some form of encroachment, such as buildings or infrastructure, within a 5 km radius.
The Norwegian Sámi Federation reports that blackthorn bogs, hunting grounds, hiking trails, and wilderness zones are also affected, significantly impacting not just reindeer herders, but wider communities and ecosystems across these landscapes.
The Sámi have suffered centuries of colonial oppression, including land seizures, forced Christianization, scientific racism, and assimilation policies.
Building infrastructure across Sámi land forms part of what many activists and human rights groups describe as a continuation of these harms under a different guise, referred to as ‘green colonialism’.
Integrity
In 2024, the Sámi Parliament launched a legal challenge against the Norwegian state, arguing that the authorities failed to properly consult Indigenous communities and did not conduct a thorough impact assessment that considered the full cumulative effects of the project.
Falch stated, “The Sámi Parliament was not consulted about the Melkøya decision at all. The consultations we participated in were about extending the 420 kV power line.”
“During these discussions, the Sámi Parliament requested to be involved in the actual Melkøya decision, but we didn’t receive any response until the decision was finalized.”
In July 2024, the Oslo District Court dismissed the case and ordered the Sámi Parliament to cover the Ministry of Energy’s legal costs.
Sámi Parliament President Silje Karine Muotka has pledged to appeal the decision, arguing that the ruling signifies not only a procedural failure but also an erosion of Indigenous law. The case is ongoing.
Justice
Sámi representatives contend that consultations did not meet international standards. Norway ratified International Labour Organisation Convention 169 in 1990, which mandates that governments sufficiently consult Indigenous peoples, through their representative institutions, on decisions affecting their interests.
On March 19, 2025, the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples released a comprehensive report emphasizing the need for Norway to uphold Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) during environmental impact assessments affecting Sámi land.
The Sámi Parliament is not seeking new consultation frameworks but rather the enforcement of existing legal obligations. Sámi political leaders and human rights organizations assert that a just transition does not require new tools, only the political will to honor those already in place.
There are ongoing questions about whether Norway’s efforts to meet its Paris Agreement targets have narrowed environmental policy to focus solely on national emissions, potentially overlooking ecological balance, cultural continuity, and legal justice.
“What value is there in achieving a target on paper,” Turi questioned, “if it doesn’t benefit the reality we live in?”
This Author
Izzy Pennington is a researcher and writer specializing in environmental justice and human-wildlife relationships. This report was enriched by the insights and support of Dr. Ellen Marie Jensen and members of the Sámi community in Kautokeino.
