Abstract :
The grid company, Statnett SF, is the appointed power system operator in Norway. Its main responsibilities are administration and development of the main grid settlement offering third party access to transmission system users, transmission system planning and power systems operation coordination. Ancillary services have to be available in any power system in order to obtain a safe and reliable power supply. The availability of ancillary services, however, differs from one power system to another. To better understand the Norwegian approach, some facts about the institutional arrangements and technical characteristics of the power system and the interconnected operation of Nordic power systems are discussed by the author in this paper