Energy consumption in the European Union nations dropped down in 2013 to the level of the early 1990s.
Average consumption was 9% lower than the peak in 2006.
This was not the case for Portugal, however. While energy use also peaked in 2006, consumption in 2013 was still slightly higher than it had been in 1990.
Portugal is dependent on energy imports for 73.5% of its consumption. This is even more than Spain which needs to get 70% of its energy imported, or Italy which requires 77% imports.
The average rate of dependency among the EU’s 28 members was considerably lower at 53%.
As for production, Portugal recorded 97.5% from renewable sources and 2.5% from non-renewable wastes. This was among the highest in the EU, after Cyprus, Malta and Latvia.
Portugal had no solid fuels production, oil, gas or nuclear energy.
France remained the main energy producer of the EU, ahead of Germany, the UK, Poland and the Netherlands.
While producing different types of fuel, the energy production of these five countries together accounted for nearly two-thirds of the EU’s total in 2013.
Comments
Who will pay for the panels and who will benefit?
It sounds great to say that Portugal´s production was 97.5% from renewable sources. But it is ultimately hypocritical, since Portugal is nearly totally reliant on nuclear produced energy.