APREN defends increase of national renewable production

According to data released by Eurostat on February 12, Portugal consumed 28.1% of energy from renewable sources in 2017, reaching 2.9 percentage points of meeting the national target of 31% by 2020. This represents a slight decrease compared to 2016, when we reached 28.4%.

 

Portugal occupies the 2nd place of a group of six countries with results between 20% and 30%. On average in the European Union, 17.5% of the final energy consumed came from renewable sources, which was also below the target (20%) set by the RES Directive.

These values clearly reflect the need to increase electricity production from renewable energy in Portugal, otherwise the goals for which the country has committed itself to the European Union, aimed at carbon neutrality in 2050, will not be met.

 

APREN has been reinforcing that, in addition to the socio-economic advantages (such as promoting employment or reducing energy dependency), more clean energy contributes decisively to improving the health of populations and the country's environmental sustainability.

 

Only with a concerted effort between private and governmental entities will it be possible to circumvent these results and achieve percentages of electricity production from renewable energy more in line with national potential.