The price of electricity is set to come down again after a recent spike in costs, tabloid Iltalehti (IL) reports on Friday morning.
The country witnessed record-breaking electricity prices last week due to supply disruptions and tranquil weather conditions, with Monday recording rates as high as 68 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
The suspension of electricity production at the Olkiluoto 2 nuclear power plant and the restrictions on transmission between Finland and Sweden significantly impacted pricing, IL notes.
While restrictions on electricity transmission from Sweden will persist until mid-September, repairs between southern Finland and central Sweden have been successfully completed, and the Olkiluoto 2 plant is projected to resume power generation on 4 September.
Furthermore, this week saw increased wind activity, contributing to an optimistic price outlook for the coming weeks, IL added.
Fingrid Power Manager Maarit Uusitalo says a similar optimism extends to the upcoming winter.
Electricity import restrictions will not be in place for the winter season, and Finland's own electricity production is better positioned compared to the previous winter thanks to the activation of Olkiluoto 3 and the addition of 1,000 MW of wind power.
In addition, European gas, nuclear and hydropower reserves are in a much better state compared to last winter, according to Uusitalo.
"We believe that the situation this winter will differ significantly from the previous winter," she told Iltalehti.
Who will replace Sanna Marin?
Helsingin Sanomat reports that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) will be meeting in Jyväskylä over this coming weekend for a party congress and to select the leader who will guide the party for at least the next three years.
The party organised a members' consultative vote, for the first time, to determine the new party chair. Voting closed on 25 August.
Antti Lindtman, the leader of the party's parliamentary group, is widely regarded as the frontrunner in the race, as reported by HS. He faces only one challenger, former health minister Krista Kiuru.
Current leader Sanna Marin's successor will be unveiled on Friday evening and the new chair is scheduled to deliver a policy speech on Sunday afternoon.
Marin is also set to speak to the party faithful on Friday afternoon. She had previously announced her decision not to seek re-election as SDP chair following the April election. The former Prime Minister will remain an MP and has signed on with the Harry Walker Agency, a US-based speaking engagement firm.
Tax winners and losers
Around 1.2 million people in Finland are expected to receive their tax refunds on Monday, Tampere-based Aamulehti writes.
In total, the Tax Administration will distribute a little over 1.1 billion euros in refunds during the month of September.
"If you don't see your tax refund in your account first thing in the morning, please check your account balance again in the afternoon. If the money still hasn't appeared, it's possible that the tax refund payment date has been postponed," the authority's Chief Inspector Juha Villman says in a release.
Meanwhile, Friday marks the deadline for back taxes. Around 333,000 taxpayers are due to settle a total sum of 260 million euros.
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