OSLO (Reuters) – Norway’s centre-left government has appointed Terje Lien Aasland as minister for petroleum and energy, replacing Marte Mjoes Persen who will take charge of the ministry for labour and social inclusion, the prime minister’s office said on Monday.
Aasland’s appointment places him in charge of energy policy for western Europe’s top oil and gas producing nation at a time of soaring petroleum prices that have boosted Norway’s state revenue while also driving up the domestic cost of electricity.
Aasland, a 16-year veteran member of parliament for Labour, currently chairs the energy and environment committee.
While the minority government of Labour and the Centre Party has introduced subsidies for households hit by a spike in power prices, the opposition has said the measures offered were insufficient.
Marte Mjoes Persen, in charge of the energy ministry since October, will move to the labour ministry where she replaces Hadia Tajik, who resigned last week.
(Reporting by Nora Buli, editing by Terje Solsvik)
