Knutsen was born in Langenes Municipality to Ole and Unni Knudsen.
He was elected representative to the Storting for Nordland for the period 1985–1989 for the Labour Party.
He was a member of the municipal council of Øksnes Municipality from 1955 to 1987 (serving as mayor from 1967 to 1973) and 1991 to 1999 (again serving as mayor) and of Nordland county council from 1967 to 1979.
[2] Knutsen died on 14 February 2021, four days short of his 89th birthday.
This article about a Norwegian politician born in the 1930s is a stub.