[RN7]

The problem is that EMP has destroyed power transmission electronics. Yes there is still electricity in some parts of southern Norway, but industrial facilities have taken heavy damage in air raids. After all Norway has in war more than four years. Goverment has tried to rebuilt industrial capasity, but in 2001 "industry" is still in workshop system level. Norway can reload cartridges and manufactures mortar rounds & hand granades. And off course they have to make spare parts to vehicles and weapons. Rebuilding petroleum industry is not possible at current situation. The situation in Sweden, Finland and Denmark is similar. Yes there are several nuclear power plants but power transmission is a big problem.

I’d still say that a fair part of the Norwegian power grid is operational or repairable in the south at least, after all by its nature Hydropower stations are generally well dispersed and located away from major population centres. Also if your entire power grid is hydro based there would be a lot of industry devoted to maintaining it, and plenty of parts available. A lot of the smaller southern cities and town in Norway seem to have survived, and with a relatively functional and renewable electricity supply the Norwegians would have a bit of a head start on the rest. Also the Norwegian oil industry and shipping industry is huge considering the relative small size of Norway. A lot of infrastructure must have survived and I think it is possible that Norway has some operational oil platforms in the North Sea. Sweden may also be relevant here, as it survived in better shape than most other countries and there must be a lot of industry still functioning.

Oil and gas platforms are quite good targets to anti-ship missiles. Yes you can protect those platforms but for four years? Norvegians are very lucky even if they have one drillship stored in some fjord. Even if they can produce only lubricants they are rich in post holocaust Europe. After all 75 % of population is dead and large parts of Norway are under soviet occupation. They need weapons from Sweden and grain from Denmark.

I’d say Norwegian oil platforms were of secondary importance to the Soviets in the early part of the war given their location, and their location may also have been a factor in their survival. Remember this area is part of the GIUK Gap, which had the most intensive NATO ASW and anti-ship resources in existence. In the earlier part of the war I would say two USN Carrier Battle Groups were roaming these waters, in addition to other US naval and air defence assets stretching across the Atlantic from North America to Norway and Britain. There were also considerable British, German, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch and Canadian naval and air forces in the area which were pretty much tailored to hunt Soviet naval and bomber penetrations into this region. It probably was a slaughterhouse for Soviet naval and air forces in the earlier stages of the war. However this is not to say that oil platforms were not targeted or damaged in the general melee, but it is possible that many survived in functional or repairable condition. We know the British have reactivated a few oil platforms in the North Sea and we know that some British Marines are still in Norway, and I would say British forces are actively cooperating with the Norwegians in reopening as many as they can.