16/07/2026

Presentation of the study “Tax Burden of Renewable Energies in Portugal”

📅 Date: July 15, 2026
📍 Location: Hotel EPIC Sana Marquês, Lisbon

On July 15, 2026, APREN – the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association – held a presentation session for the study “Tax Burden of Renewable Energies in Portugal,” developed by Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE) and Lobo Carmona.

The session was opened by the Deputy Secretary of State for Energy, Jean Barroca, and brought together representatives from public entities, companies, associations, and other stakeholders in the energy sector.

The study was presented by Pedro Brinca, Professor at Nova School of Business and Economics, and by Carlos Lobo, Partner at Lobo Carmona, who outlined the main conclusions of the economic, fiscal, and legal analysis. The session concluded with a presentation of the main recommendations for the sectorby Susana Serôdio, Coordinator of Policies and Market Intelligence at APREN.

Key findings

This study constitutes the first integrated analysis of the tax and parafiscal burden applied to the renewable energy sector in Portugal, evaluating its impact on competitiveness, investment, and the achievement of energy transition goals.

Among the main conclusions, the following stand out:

  • Portugal applies a tax and parafiscal burden to renewable energies that is unparalleled in Europe, currently being the only European country that maintains a permanent contribution on renewable energy assets;
  • In 2024, the sector generated €1.11 billion in Total Tax Contribution, equivalent to approximately 1.16% of national tax revenue;
  • The total tax burden borne by companies represents approximately 35% of their profits, even though the sector already pays an effective corporate income tax rate higher than the national average;
  • Between 2020 and 2024, companies paid 312 million euros in CESE and Clawback alone;
  • Around 60 billion euros in investment intentions are currently blocked, mainly due to licensing deadlines, insufficient network capacity, and the absence of new auctions since 2022;
  • The study concludes that removing these obstacles would more than double the sector's annual tax contributionto approximately €2.8 billion, simultaneously strengthening competitiveness, energy independence, and the energy transition. Each year of delay represents an estimated loss of approximately €1.7 billion in potential tax revenue for the State.

The study also presents a set of recommendations aimed at promoting a more competitive and predictable fiscal and regulatory framework, aligned with the objectives of the energy transition, contributing to accelerating investment and enhancing the economic contribution of renewable energies to Portugal.

Documentation

The materials presented during the session are available for viewing and download below:

  • Study: Tax Burden of Renewable Energies in Portugal, available here.
  • Press release: Portugal applies a tax and parafiscal burden to renewable energies unparalleled in Europe, available here.