Katarina Delsing retires after 8 years as Energikontor Norr’s CEO

Katarina Delsing’s story is one of versatility, adaptability, and a passion for energy. With a degree in chemical engineering, Katarina began her career in heat transformation research and has worked in various sectors, including international business, start-ups, and non-profits. However, her true calling came when she became the CEO of Energikontor Norr in 2015, where she found joy and challenges in working on regional development.

When Katarina started as CEO, the mission from the board was to implement a more strategic way of working and besides working municipals also support companies to a greater extent than before. During her first years the turnover increased by 50 %. Katarina has been also a board member of Energikontoren Sverige, the association for all 15 Swedish energy agencies, since 2016, and a board member of HSB Norr, the biggest federation of cooperative housing in Sweden.

“I always wanted to be somewhere where I can make a difference.”

Katarina Delsing

Under Katarina’s leadership, Energikontor Norr has worked on many EU projects and initiatives such as the Covenant of Mayors- Europe, Data4Action, GreenS, Remarkable, and Nevermore – often in collaboration with other FEDARENE members.

A major was the development of Energiluppen, a database for energy statistics which supports municipalities and SMEs in energy efficiency and sustainability.

The agency has also supported farmers in the Arctic region in using solar energy, implemented infrastructure for charging electric vehicles, and initiated the first heavy battery electric vehicle project in the northernmost part of Sweden.

Katarina acknowledges FEDARENE’s contribution to Energikontor Norr’s success.

“FEDARENE is a kind of one-stop-shop for energy agencies for project ideas, advocacy actions, and everything needed at the European level.”

Katarina Delsing

When EnergiKontor Norr was just starting out, AURA-EE took on the role of mentor and guided them through the early stages of their development. This experience showcases the true essence of the FEDARENE network – a community of like-minded individuals and organisations who are passionate about promoting sustainable energy practices

She advises colleagues from Swedish energy agencies to become FEDARENE members if they want to work at the international level.

As Katarina moves on to her next chapter, Jörgen Nilsson will replace her as the CEO of Energikontor Norr. He will have great opportunities to support businesses and municipalities as energy has never been as crucial as it is today. One of the biggest challenges will be the transition to green energy in the industry, which will require a significant increase in electricity demand.

“We will use 10 times more electricity than we have today.”

Katarina Delsing

It is clear that the current infrastructure will not be able to meet the demand and the local and regional authorities together with private companies works to find innovative solutions for this issue. Energikontor Norr is already involved in the mapping of electricity and hydrogen demands for the green energy transition of the region, one important task in order to ensure the world’s first fossil-free steel production can take place in Norrbotten. As the agency will face these challenges and opportunities, we thus look forward to our future collaboration with Jörgen Nilsson.

Katarina’s journey from a chemical engineer to a CEO of an energy agency is an inspiring one. She has shown that with hard work, determination, and passion, we can make a difference. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors and look forward to hearing about her future successes.