The plan, which was presented by the Minister for Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, on Tuesday 3 November in the Assembly of the Portuguese Republic, is part of the specialised review of the State Budget Law Proposal for 2027, as a requirement of the renewable energy directive. The recommendations will also include the water, waste, and mining sectors.

The minister admits that local opposition to energy, water and waste projects is an urgent matter, and highlighted the importance of dialogue, transparency and compensation, citing the mining in Aljustrel as an example of community involvement. Projects must, according to the minister, always include sharing information with the people and the local authorities, and state that there must be benefits for the population initially and over time. A solar power plant could lead to the creation of cheaper energy for the local community.

“We want the population to accept these projects, with reciprocal benefits, transparency, and dialogue between the companies and the population”, she said, recalling that one of the controversial projects, the Sophia solar power plant, is being decided by the environmental impact assessment authorities. Solar panels on roofs of large surfaces such as warehouses should still be prioritised, but will not generate enough capacity. It is therefore necessary to continue with the projects, as long as they are not in sensitive areas.

The phenomenon also known as NIMBY – Not In My Backyard is known globally as one of the main obstacles for investors wanting to implement renewable energy projects. The level of public protest is often linked to the maturity of the market in terms of information, social content and communal dialogue. Something that has not always been at the top of the list for either the investors or the government during this critical time, when the demand and price for electricity in Portugal are very high, and fossil fuels are being outsourced. The last coal plant in Portugal closed in 2021.

A lot of high-profile investments, like data centres, alternative fuel production like green hydrogen and fertilisers like green ammonia, demand enormous amounts of renewable energy and can risk not being able to go through with the project or simply cancelling the investment due to public protest:

· Cachenas Wind Farm in Alentejo: Planned by Galp to power a green hydrogen facility in the Sines Industrial and Logistics Zone, the 19-turbine wind project was officially cancelled in May 2026 due to severe opposition from local populations, environmental groups and municipal authorities.

· Beira Photovoltaic Plant in Beira Baixa: Promoted by Lightsource BP, this massive solar project was rejected by the Portuguese Environmental Agency (APA) also following widespread local protests, and formal complaints regarding ecological and land-use damage.

The decree from June originally gave 90 days to present the plan, but the State Budget only foresees launching it in 2027. It requires developers to submit a plan for community participation and involvement as part of their licensing application.

Although the minister highlighted the matter as an “emergency”, the proposed State Budget for 2027 only mentions the plan in a single sentence – that it is being launched, promoting greater participation of municipalities and local communities in the benefits of the projects, but does not allocate funds or a timeline for it.

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