The 3rd edition of the Energy and Territory Meeting was held on October 9th at the University of Beira Interior (UBI), in the municipality of Covilhã. Organized in partnership between E-REDES and RNAE - Associação das Agências de Energia e Ambiente (National Network), this meeting promoted discussion on energy in Portugal, attended by various experts, academics and representatives of public and private entities, in search of more sustainable solutions. The 3rd edition of this meeting focused on the Fair Energy Transition, addressing issues such as “Cities of the Future” and “Energy Poverty”.
The meeting began with an opening session led by José Páscoa Marques, Vice-Rector of UBI and Vítor Pereira, Mayor of Covilhã. António Vidigal, a current energy consultant and former Chairman of EDP Inovação, highlighted the importance of an inclusive and sustainable energy transition, defending photovoltaics as part of the solution and proposing that the country become a “living lab” for innovative electrical systems.
The first panel on “Cities of the Future” discussed sustainable energy projects, the challenges of collective self-consumption, integrated information management for urban decarbonization and the support given by electricity grids to the energy transition. This panel featured Miguel Macias Sequeira, from the Faculty of Science and Technology of Universidade Nova de Lisboa and the Energia Viver Telheiras Community, Rui Dinis from Lisboa E-Nova, Luís Tiago Ferreira from E-REDES and Rui Frazão from the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology (DGEG).
The second panel on “Energy Poverty” discussed initiatives to support vulnerable consumers and emphasized the importance of energy literacy and the role of the social sector, addressing the situation of the elderly population. This panel included interventions from Rita Varela, from the Energy Agency (ADENE), Paulo Mendonça, from Seia City Council, Susana Camacho from RNAE and Professor António Marques from UBI.
The closing session was led by Carlos Santos, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RNAE and José Ferrari Careto, Chairman of the Board of Directors of E-REDES. They both took stock of the event, stressing the importance of collaboration between different sectors to achieve a fair and effective energy transition. Carlos Santos highlighted the importance of the data made available by the E-REDES Open Data Portal, suggesting that it be used in the Action Plans of Energy Agencies and Municipalities. Ferrari Careto stressed the importance of listening to local concerns and announced the completion of the installation of 6.4 million smart meters, highlighting the logistical success of the project and the need to prepare the network for the energy transition in Portugal.
