“In a global slowdown scenario, our country continues to stand out as a reference, rapidly approaching an almost entirely renewable electric system,” noted the association in a written response regarding the annual report on renewable energies by the International Energy Agency (IEA), released on Tuesday.
The IEA reduced expectations for global renewable electricity growth by 5% until 2030, primarily due to policy changes in the United States and China, making the goal of tripling global renewable capacity by 2030, as set by the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), unattainable.
The international agency revised its projections for the US downwards by nearly 50% compared to 2024, citing policy changes that led to the early removal of tax incentives, import restrictions, and the suspension and reduction of licenses for onshore wind and solar photovoltaic projects on federal lands.
APREN considered that the report “reinforces Europe’s, and particularly Portugal’s, leadership role in the energy transition” and that this recognition confirms that the country “is on the right path, but also highlights the urgent need to accelerate the pace.”
“The country has a solid foundation, but success depends on execution capacity,” emphasized the association, highlighting the need to fully transpose the European directive REDIII (Renewable Energy Directive III) and treat renewables “as a public interest, essential for energy security, economic competitiveness, and reducing Portuguese families’ energy bills.”
For APREN, “the challenge is not to define goals but to achieve them,” considering political and social consensus on tangible outcomes to be fundamental to this.
Regarding the measures announced by the Government, for the creation of Renewable Energy Acceleration Zones and the new decree law simplifying grid connection requests, APREN considered these “represent concrete steps in the right direction” and address “long-identified concerns by the sector.”
