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Draft Resolution No 197 /X

(Promotion of hydroelectric profiteers)

Portugal continues, still nowadays, to depend on about 80% to 90% of the energy that

matters, while the domestic consumption of electric energy has been growing, in the last

decade, at an annual average that has rounded up the 5% to 6%, with particular focus on the

services and residential sectors.

The European Commission adopted, in the year 2001, general guidelines for policy

energy within the Union, on the horizon of 2010, which they pointed out that on that date

12% of all production should come from renewable resources.

In the framework of Directive 2001 /77/CE, of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 27 of

September, concerning the promotion of electricity generated from energy sources

renewables in the domestic electricity market, the European Union has established as well,

for Portugal, the percentage of 39% as the quantitative target to be achieved by our Country in the

alluded year of reference 2010.

In spite of all the significant investments that have been made in the times more

recent, particularly at the level of the wind and solar segments, is key, so that the

our Country may come to comply with the target to which it has bound itself as a member state of the

European Union, which promotes itself, at the same time, the increment of energy production to

departure from water plants.

In effect, even with the commissioning of the major ventures

Hydroelectric of the Alqueva and Low-flavor and the reinforcement of the power of the leavings

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of Venda Nova and Picote is today safe that it will not reach our Country the said target of

39%.

Although hydroelectricity is currently the main national source of among the energies

renewables, the fact is that the percentage of the full harnessing of its potential if

situates still only in the 58%.

Conjugated all the conditioners behind them and having, necessarily, to take

always in line of account the best possible defence of the various environmental components and the

sustainability of the use of natural resources, everything advises that, in the face of

technologies available, bet our Country, on a short term and in a way

determined, in the enhancement of the production of electrical energy, not least through the recourse to

small water plants-also known as mini-water.

To have a quick but reliable idea of the state of this subsector of renewable energy

it will be reported that since the beginning of the 90 there have been about 1,600 applications for

licensing of these mini-central, having, however, only since been built

about 50.

In the meantime, countries our partners in the European Union, such as France, Italy and the

Germany have used already, practically, all their water potential for production

energy. And, even here on our side, neighbouring Spain has already 85% of this its

manancial in full production.

On January 24 last, in a monthly debate in Parliament, the Prime Minister stated

the purpose of our Country to attain, in the year 2010, not only the level traced by the Union

European 39% of all electricity consumed in Portugal is of renewable origin,

but a plateau of 45%. And it considered as "critical in this area" water energy.

Disserting on the situation of this energy sub-sector the Head of the Government acknowledged

that " 54% of our water potential is to be taken advantage of, at the same time as,

paradoxically, we are one of the countries in which the least installed water capacity has grown

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for the last 30 years ". What, in everything comes to attest to the already mentioned very low levels of

service, by the Public Administration, of the applications submitted by the

private individuals for the installation of energy production units from, above all,

mini-water plants.

Having embarked on this political discourse, the Prime Minister, however, only

objectivated its purposes in large water, specifically, in the reinforcement of the

production capacity of the Picote, Bemposta and Alqueva plants and, still, in the acceleration

of the "pace of construction of new dams", by drawing up a " global plan

of dams ", with a view to" reaching more 1,300 MW of water power ".

It is, however, succeeding, however, that the mini-water plants, by their size characteristics,

minor relevance of the environmental impacts they cause, by the dispersability that, by

this, allow in the territory and for being able to be, also, of multiple ends, end a

strong potential for the modification of local conditions and for the development of

productive activities, constituting a powerful ally to the fixation of people and, by

consequence, in the fight against desertification of the regions of the interior of our Country. Between

other advantages, this type of mini-central allows, control the flow of rivers and proceed to the

irrigation of the fields.

The current national landscape regarding electrical production from mini-water plants is

the following: Taking into account the old concessions, 34 mini-water with a full power

of 30 MW and 100 GWh/year, and still 20 of the SENV (Electrical System Non-Linked-

EDP Group) with 56 MW and productivity of 165 GWh/year, the total utilisation

is situated at 98 plants that correspond to 256 MW of installed power and to a

production 815 GWh/year.

Although it is difficult to estimate the potential for existing myel-water exploration is possible

point to values close to the 1,000 MW, of which between 500 and 600 MW are

concretizable in a few years (up to 2010), with an average production between 1,500 and 1,800

GWh/year.

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In these terms,

-Considering the maintenance of the strong external energy dependence of our Country;

-Considering the objectives set out in Directive No 2001 /77/CE of September 27, and,

specifically, the targets that have been signed our Country in that new legal framework-

political;

-Whereas the production of energy by water does not lead to the emission of

any Gases with Effect of Stuff, contributing, before and decisively, to the

compliance with the commitments arising from the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on the

Climate Change;

-Considering that only 58% of the entire national hydroelectric potential lies

at this time explored;

-Considering the various environmental, social, technical and economic advantages that

may arise from the increment of hydroelectric production in our Country, in particular those that

report to the overall management of the entire national electroproducer system, to the guarantee of the

existence and the reinforcement of our water reserves and, by consequence, the combating of

desertification;

-Considering the recent announcement of the XVII Constitutional Government in a clear bet on the

promotion of renewable energy and, in particular, water production, but only through

of major plants;

-Considering, finally, the potential for electric production from mini-

existing water and by exploring in our Country,

The Assembly of the Republic recommends to the Government the adoption of measures with a view to:

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a) To the promotion of the full energy use of our water resources

through the resource to mini water power plants;

b) When drafting the announced "global dams plan", to be guaranteed,

where technically feasible, the prevalence of mini-leverages-

water with respect to the large water;

c) to expedite the procedures for the licensing of mini-water power plants,

notably through the introduction of time limits for all phases

involved;

f) To the elaboration and dissemination of a national mapping of the potentials of

energy profiteers from mini water plants.

Palace of Saint Benedict, March 20, 2007.

The Deputies of the Parliamentary Group of the Social Democratic Party,