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Abstract

Abstract The development of the electric grid started in the years before the First World War in Sogn og Fjordane, as in the rest of rural Norway. Nevertheless, in the late1930s, Sogn og Fjordane was by far the county in Southern Norway with the lowest degree of electrification. This article examines the slow-paced electrification of Sogn og Fjordane before 1940, focusing specifically on the role of the county government. Earlier works have emphasized topographical and demographic factors combined with weak private and public finances to explain the late and fragmented development of the electric grid in Sogn og Fjordane. While these factors were undoubtedly significant, the analysis here also considers some political and organisational factors. Sogn og Fjordane County had for 50 years been more involved in the transport sector than any other county government. County-owned companies or inter-municipal companies, including the county as a shareholder, were well known in Sogn og Fjordane and were also introduced in the electric grid in a set-up that combined inter-municipal and county ownership. Major problems caused by the Ålfot scandal are emphasised to explain the county government's withdrawal from the electricity sector in the interwar period. It is also argued that the existing organisational model likely was less conducive to securing financial support from the government during the interwar crisis.