Macau, China, March 26, 2026 (Lusa) - The president of the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), José Pimenta Machado, said on Thursday that the country’s commitment to renewable energy sources is reducing the impact of the global energy crisis, sparked by Middle East conflict.
Hostilities began in late February, following joint attacks by the US and Israel against Iran, causing oil, gas prices to increase, triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.
Machado told Lusa, during the 2026 Macau International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition (MIECF) that while Portugal lacked oil and gas, the country possessed an abundance of solar, wind and hydro resources.
According to information available on the website of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association (APREN), Portugal is currently a European Union leader in renewable energy, with over 80% of electricity generated in the first two months of 2026 coming from clean sources.
The main sources are hydroelectric (36.8%) and wind power (35%), with solar power (5.2%) gaining increasing prominence, according to APREN.
Machado points out that this was driven by heavy rainfall, which enabled the country’s reservoirs to be filled.
He said that every dam had been filled this year and that they were so full that discharges had to be carried out.
According to him, this strategy of making use of the country’s own resources “without relying on foreign sources” has proven effective in limiting price rises for consumers.
He concluded that Portugal’s path towards renewables was the right one, noting that 2026 had demonstrated how this strategy secured supply and limited energy costs, arguing for the need to accelerate this transition.
Earlier this month, Portugal’s government approved a package of structural measures to bolster renewable production, expand self-consumption and establish tools to contain prices during energy crises.
The most significant measure allows the state to intervene directly in energy pricing during an official crisis.
The Ministry of Environment and Energy explained that while a crisis declaration may be justified, it would currently apply only to natural gas, following a significant, recent deterioration in market conditions, with prices standing at “around 85% above the levels seen at the start of the war in the Middle East”.
NCM/MYAL // AYLS
Lusa
