Nord Pool Spot runs the largest physical power market in the world, offering both day-ahead and intra-day markets to its participants. 317 companies from 20 countries trade on the exchange. The Nord Pool Spot group has offices in Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm, Fredericia, Tallinn and London.  In 2009 the group had a turnover of 287 TWh representing a value of EUR 10.8 billion and 72% of the total consumption of electricity in the Nordic countries.

The Nord Pool Spot group consists of Nord Pool Spot AS and its wholly owned subsidiaries Nord Pool Finland Oy and Nord Pool Spot AB. In addition Nord Pool Spot owns 50% of the Danish gas exchange Nord Pool Gas A/S. In January 2010 Nord Pool Spot and NASDAQ OMX Commodities launched the UK power market N2EX. The Nord Pool Spot group is owned by the Nordic transmission system operators.

Nord Pool Spot provides a market place to producers, energy companies and large consumers on which they can buy or sell physical power. Nord Pool Spot is the central counter party in all trades, guaranteeing settlement for trade.

Nord Pool Spot’s system price is the reference price for futures, forwards and options traded in the financial market. The system price is also the reference price for the Nordic OTC/bilateral wholesale market and used by distributors as basis for quoting prices to end consumers.

The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) regulates Nord Pool Spot and issues the market place concession. The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (OED) has authorized Nord Pool Spot to organise the physical exchange of power with neighbouring countries.