Svalbard This week in history, 1 January
2002
The local council begins
Longyearbyen lokalstyre was established on 1 January 2002. By then many of the tasks the coal company once handled had passed to other bodies.
History Store norske leksikon
Monday 29 December 2025Before the Wire, which starts 26 October 2026Updated 23:59
Polar night, day 64 of 111. The sun returns 15 February.
Svalbard Wire starts on 26 October 2026. Pages before that date show the history of the island.
From the timeline, The present transition
2023
Power plant leaves coal
From mid October 2023 the local power plant in Longyearbyen changed from coal to diesel, as a temporary measure until a greener energy source is decided. In the same month the local newspaper, published weekly since 1948, became a monthly paper with a web edition.
History Store norske leksikon
The timeline by era
- 1596Discovery and whaling, 3 entries
- 1715Hunting and expeditions, 4 entries
- 1905The coal town, 6 entries
- 1920The Svalbard Treaty, 4 entries
- 1941War and rebuilding, 4 entries
- 1975The modern town, 3 entries
- 2015The present transition, 6 entries