Record-breaking Portugal generates 70 percent of power from renewables

Almost three quarters of the electricity consumed in Portugal during the first quarter of the year came from renewable sources, according to new figures from the country’s grid operator REN.

The company confirmed this week that the combination of favorable weather conditions and the country’s investment in wind and hydro-electricity capacity meant 70 percent of electricity was generated by renewable technologies during the first three months of the year.

The performance is likely to have resulted in significant emission reductions, given output from coal and gas-fired power stations fell 29 and 44 percent respectively, compared with the first quarter of 2012. The surge in renewable power also offered a boost to Portugal’s economy as it allowed the country to export electricity equivalent to six percent of national consumption.

Read more at Business Green.