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Portugal’s green energy revolution
photo by Somerset Bob (Flickr Creative Commons)
During a trip last month from the Portuguese capital of Lisbon to its second largest city Porto, in the north of the country, I noticed a lot of wind turbines dotting the landscape. I’m not the only one either.
The New York Times published a piece yesterday on Portugal’s green makeover. Wind, hydro, solar and wave power are fueling the small Iberian republic’s move from fossil fuels to renewable energy – and they’ve got the resources to do it.
Few countries in Europe have these key ingredients: lots of wind and sun, suitable rivers and a coastline complete with powerful waves and ocean currents. These clean sources of energy will provide 45% of Portugal’s electricity this year. By 2025, other European nations – Denmark, Ireland and the UK – are expected to source at least 40% of their power from renewables.
That’s double of what is expected of the US.
Land-based wind power — this year deemed “potentially competitive” with fossil fuels by the International Energy Agency in Paris — has expanded sevenfold in that time. And Portugal expects in 2011 to become the first country to inaugurate a national network of charging stations for electric cars.
–New York Times
Since Portugal is low in fossil fuel deposits, but high in renewable resources, this transition hasn’t required a raise in taxes or public debt. What it has or currently imports in the form of gas, coal and oil are replaced by domestic clean power. It even exports a small amount of electricity to Spain.
Read more in the following two articles in New York Times by Elisabeth Rosenthal:
Portugal Gives Itself a Clean-Energy Makeover
Beyond Fossil Fuels: Costs and Benefits
Tags: electricity, energy, Green, New York Times, power, renewable, resource, Solar, source, wind
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Hello Ecotretas,
I do not understand Portuguese, but I can tell you, that it is us, the environmentalists, that want to get the facts straight. The Conservatives’ fundamental principle is to enrich the rich and your attitude towards this article shows you rather support the Right than the environment. That’s a shame, because we have only one planet and it’s being destroyed at an alarming rate.
Yes, thanks, Ecotretas. There are indeed legitimate criticisms to various feed-in tariff schemes around the world. George Monbiot hates the ones being introduced in the UK
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/01/solar-panel-feed-in-tariff
http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2010/03/01/a-great-green-rip-off/
I don’t know if they are necessarily always bad, but when they favor only those who can invest significant sums, then they should not incur big subsidies. The wealthy and middle classes in all countries use far more energy than the poor no matter how environmentally conscious they are. It is a lifestyle that should not be subsidized.
I don’t have any political or ideological agenda. I just love to get the facts straight. But most of the politicians don’t! And that’s the problem…
I’m not against wind power: I’m against feed-in tariffs… They just enrich the richer! Are you in favor of that?
Hope I clarified things a little bit…
Ecotretas
Obrigado pelo seu comentário.
You may have some legitimate points, but your political agenda is also shining through. Any transition in energy will cost, but Portugal’s seems to cost less, especially considering the sun, wind, wave and hydro domestically available when compared to fossil fuels, which must be imported, are running out, polluting and yes – according to the vast majority of scientific experts – causing climate change involving disastrous risks.
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I think yours is just one Portuguese interpretation from the ideological Right, many of whom are primarily concerned with not paying taxes, maintaining SOCIAL – rather than environmental – ecology, which is facilitated by capital staying in the hands of the already monied classes.
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But even if that is inaccurate and you are simply in favor libertarian laissez-faire economics, and believe the market will solve all problems, why would you want to shoot down the building of a renewable energy infrastructure? Any power infrastructure will require investment, maintenance and regulation, so why not make it the cleanest and most far-sighted, climate change or no climate change?
A very biased story. For a portuguese interpretation, please see my reply at http://ecotretas.blogspot.com/2010/08/portugal-new-york-times.html
Ecotretas