en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Portuguese Ministry of Environment and Energy announced that, under a new decree promulgated by the President of the Republic on June 5, procedures for citizens, businesses, and local governments to produce and share renewable energy will become simpler, faster, and more cost-effective.
The decree amends Decree-Law No. 15/2022, aiming to reduce administrative steps in collective self-consumption and renewable energy communities. Key adjustments include expanding the allowable distance between production units and consumers, simplifying processes with network operators, and increasing flexibility for participants to join and leave. For very small installations, the power cap for exemption from prior approval has been raised from 700 watts to 800 watts.
Additionally, the government has exempted new projects entering operation before 2029 from the General Economic Interest Costs (CIEG) portion of electricity bills, reducing expenses for households, businesses, and public entities. Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, stated in a declaration: "We are not just announcing; we decide and execute." She noted that the aim is to make the production and sharing of renewable energy accessible to everyone, from individuals and businesses to local governments and communities, with every solar panel in operation reducing energy imports and external payment costs.
The government will also establish a national map of collective self-consumption projects and energy communities to facilitate new members joining. This is the first time guiding principles have been set for collective self-consumption, aiming to enhance transparency, consumer protection, and fair distribution of benefits. According to ministry data, grid-connected energy communities have grown from 418 in April 2025 to 1,218 in April 2026, an increase of approximately 191%. Since April 2025, 800 new projects have been connected to the grid, double the cumulative growth of the previous two years.
These measures are part of a broader strategy that also includes revisions to technical rules for self-consumption and the future establishment of a Single Energy Service Desk (Balcão Único da Energia). Portugal has been recognized by the European Commission as a model for promoting self-consumption and energy communities.
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