National Energy Strategy 2020 (ENE 2020)

Country / jurisdiction: Portugal · Year: 2010 · Status: In force · Level: National · Type: Voluntary

Pursuant to the policies developed successfully by the 17th Constitutional Government, the 18th Constitutional Government Programme places energy policies in their many aspects as pivotal in reconverting and modernising the Portuguese economy, promoting a territorially-balanced growth and fostering job creation in a convoluted and fast changing international backdrop.

The National Energy Strategy (ENE 2020) hinges around five unfolding and detailed main axes, which act as a vision, a focused set of priorities and an outline of enabling measures:

Axis 1 - AGENDA FOR COMPETITIVENESS, GROWTH AND ENERGY AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE - ENE 2020 stimulates the different economic areas adding value and job creation by betting on innovative projects in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable energy, including the decentralisation of production and electric mobility in a balanced territorial framework; promoting competition in the marketplace by consolidating the Iberian Electricity Market (MIBEL), creating the Iberian Natural Gas Market (MIBGAS), and regulating the national oil system, thus contributing to enhance Portugals energy and financial independence in times of external energy shocks.

Axis 2 - BETTING ON RENEWABLE ENERGY by promoting the development of a national industrial sector, a generator of economic growth and job creation, and which allows the attainment of national targets for renewable energy production by increasing the range of renewable energy types in the country?s available sources of energy supply (energy mix). By doing so Portugal aims to reduce its external dependence, which translates into increased supply safety.

Axis 3 - PROMOTION OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY by targeting a 20% reduction in overall energy consumption by 2020, through both behavioural and fiscal measures, as well as through innovative projects, namely electric vehicles and smart grids, renewable-based decentralised production, and the optimisation of public lighting models and energy management of public, residential and services buildings.

Axis 4 - GUARANTEEING SECUTITY OF ENERGY SUPPLY by sticking to a policy of a wide energy mix of both sources and supply origins, and by strengthening transport and storage infrastructures which will allow the consolidation of the Iberian market in accordance with European energy policy guidelines.

Axis 5 - SUSTAINING THE ENERGY STRATEGY - ENE 2020 promotes economic and environmental sustainability as crucial to the success of the energy policy, by resorting to instruments of fiscal policy, to some revenue generated in the energy sector by CO2 emission allowances, and other revenues generated by the renewable energy sector, for the creation of a tariff equilibrium fund that enables a continuous renewable energy growth process.

Official source: http://www.min-economia.pt/innerPage.aspx?idCat=51&idMasterCat=13&idLang=2