People power mobilises against solar/ wind mega-projects

Nine civic movements and associations across the country have created a national platform against the proliferation of solar and wind mega-projects, and in defence of a ‘just and sustainable energy transition’.

In its manifesto, sent to Lusa news agency, the Fair and Sustainable Energy Movement (MEJS) expresses concern about the way the energy transition has been conducted in the country, stressing “the urgent need for a Renewable Energy Planning Plan”.

The platform is made up of the ProtegeAlentejo association and the Juntos Pelo Cercal movement, in the municipality of Santiago do Cacém (Setúbal district), Cidadãos pela Beira Baixa, the Civic Movement in Defence of Pedrógão de São Pedro and Bemposta, the Gardunha Sul Civic Movement and the Platform for the Defence of the Tejo International, (Castelo Branco district), Juntos pelo Divor – Paisagem e Património, (Évora district), Juntos por São Luís, in the municipality of Odemira, Beja district, and the Plataforma pela Sustentabilidade e Biodiversidade do Algarve e Alentejo.

These nine founders of MEJS consider the energy transition, this far, has favoured solar and wind megaprojects. All “with unacceptable location and size, presented as the only and urgent solution for meeting the goals of the PNEC (National Energy and Climate Plan).”

MEJS rejects this energy strategy, transforming Portugal into a “giant energy factory,” with “the objective of exporting (energy) and  attracting data centers.”

In the platform’s view, not only does this political option cause “clearly irreversible impacts” for Portugal, it should never even be considered without the clarification and support of the Portuguese population.”

“In contrast to this chaotic and opaque political approach, we propose the urgent need for a Renewable Energy Master Plan, developed through broad and effective public participation at local, regional and national levels, which is bindingly committed to the will of the people,” says the platform.

For PNEC “to be developed with the transparency that planning requires, information and choices that have never been shared and agreed upon with the communities will have to be put in the public domain,” argue the manifesto’s signatories.

And that, eventually, “will require a reassessment of the PNEC targets”, such as “what energy capacity Portugal actually needs, and for what uses; what are the consumption growth forecasts, and in which sectors, and what energy mix should be considered in this transition phase”.

The document reiterates the need to assess “the cumulative effect of all projects and associated infrastructure,” which invariably include “Very High Voltage Lines (and) substations” planned throughout the country.

Assessing each project in isolation doesn’t take into account the crushing weight of these myriad projects on communities.

In other words, the Renewable Energy Planning Plan must respect “rural subjects” and their territories, “as living and inhabited places,” the platform argues, rejecting what it calls as “the artificialisation of vast natural areas”, plastered – as plans envisage – by seas of solar panels, or battalions of wind turbines.

As an alternative to these large projects that are causing so much angst the length and breadth of the country, the movement wants “a robust policy to support decentralised renewable production, including individual and collective self-consumption”; the creation of “renewable energy communities”, and a “small integrated agrovoltaic system.”

Priority should also be given to “small power plants in degraded or artificialised areas and (to) associated local storage systems,” adds the manifesto

In addition to referring to hydrogen-related projects and data centers as “white elephants,” the movement argues that “recourse to the concept of public interest” should “be at the service of the collective” – and should only be used “in exceptional circumstances.” This clause comes in direct response to the announcement last week, by the minister of environment and energy, that the government was preparing to be able to override the negative opinions of its own technical agencies, if it deemed a project of ‘superior national interest’.

Regarding the fight against climate change, the apolitical movement pointed to carbon sequestration, soil regeneration, good agricultural and forestry practices, and habitat restoration as solutions.

In its manifesto, the Fair and Sustainable Energy Movement also calls on “all citizens, associations, municipalities, scientific institutions, and policymakers to actively participate in this fundamental debate for the future of the country” – before it becomes too late.

This is a movement that will be welcomed by activists in the Algarve who warned of this precise scenario last year.

Source material: LUSA