Tenth place may not sound extraordinary at first, but think about it: out of 118 countries, we are standing shoulder to shoulder with Germany, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. For once, we’re not looking up at the leaders from a distance. We’re part of the club.
And I can’t help but remember how often we Portuguese talk ourselves down, convinced that nothing ever works here. Well, here is something that works. Years ago, when the government and companies decided to push wind power, many dismissed it as a dream, maybe even a luxury. Today, that “dream” is the backbone of our energy system. Add solar, hydrogen projects, ambitious offshore wind plans, and investments in the grid, and suddenly we look like one of the most forward-thinking players in Europe.
The report even puts numbers to it: by 2030, we aim for 93 percent of our electricity to come from renewables. Honestly, if you had told me that a decade ago, I would have laughed. Now it feels within reach. And it’s not just about being green. Every turbine and solar panel makes us less dependent on imported fossil fuels, less vulnerable to crises that spike energy prices, and less exposed to the whims of geopolitics. For families and businesses, that means more stability. For the country, it means more independence.
There’s also the pride of seeing Portugal on the map as a place that attracts investment in clean technology. Multinationals see us as a reliable base, and our engineers and researchers are proving they can compete with the best. That, to me, may be the most important part: it shows that our talent, when given the right conditions, can shine on the world stage.
Of course, there’s no room for complacency. If we want to keep this ranking, we’ll need to solve the hard problems: storage, grid flexibility, and making sure the transition remains affordable. It’s not glamorous, but it’s essential.
Still, I take this recognition as a reminder of something simple: Portugal is capable. We like to believe we’re too small to matter, but here we are, shaping the future of energy alongside the giants. For once, instead of saying “lá fora é que é”, we can proudly say: “aqui também é”. And that, for me, is worth celebrating.
Paulo Lopes is a multi-talent Portuguese citizen who made his Master of Economics in Switzerland and studied law at Lusófona in Lisbon – CEO of Casaiberia in Lisbon and Algarve.
Paulo Lopes