Sweden presents plan to tackle high winter power bills

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Sweden’s government says it wants to pass legislation forcing the country’s public power transmission network operator to help alleviate this winter’s expected high electricity bills for Swedish households and businesses. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, whose Social Democratic minority government faces parliamentary elections next month, said Wednesday the proposal would cost Svenska kraftnat at least 30 billion kronor ($2.9 billion). She said the public utility responsible for ensuring Sweden’s electricity transmission system would get the funds from the 60 billion kronor it got from revenues from congestion in the electricity grid. “Both homeowners and business owners feel sick when they think about the electricity bill for the winter,” Andersson said.