Distributed energy production should also promote improvements to the grid, increasing the interconnections with adjacent regions in the north (including neighbouring regions in Sweden and Finland), opening up new business opportunities in those areas affected by slow but constant depopulation and ageing (Box 13.2). Home to approximately 1 800 people, this seems to be the most proactive municipality in the region when it comes to using RE to generate local employment. Taking advantage of new powers granted to local levels by central government for promoting RE deployment (see below), the Storfjord municipality has already developed a local plan for small-scale hydro-electric development, steering projects into suitable sites which do not conflict with tourism or the environment. They are also thinking about exporting energy to Sweden, and building a power transmission Une and a railway to transport processed minerals from Sweden in winter (when the North Baltic is frozen).