Lysaker, 15 December 2004 Nord Pool has received the following information from the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE): The inflow of water to the Norwegian hydropower reservoirs was well above normal, and the filling is now approaching normal. Much precipitation and high temperatures gave an inflow of water to the reservoirs 60 percent above normal during week 50. The reservoirs had a filling level of 74.0 percent Monday 15th of December. This is 1.0 percentage points lower than last Monday, but 15.0 percentage points higher than at the same time last year. The filling level is now 1.8 percentage points below normal. In Sweden, the reservoir filling level is now 71.0 percent, after a decrease of 2.3 percentage points during week 50. The end user prices continue to fall. In week 53, the average price offered on standard variable price contracts by the dominating suppliers was 0.337 NOK/kWh. This is a reduction of 0.006 NOK/kWh since week 52. In comparison, the average price offered by the 15 cheapest national suppliers is 0.31 NOK/kWh, after a reduction of 0.009 NOK/kWh from week 52. ------------------------------- Contact person at the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate: Marit Lundteigen Fossdal, NVE, tel: +47 2295 9353