Podcast
A month after the great blackout, on the eve of World Energy Day, it is already time to make a state of the state of the national electrical system. In the Business of the Week in Podcast, José Gomes Ferreira interviews Maria da Graça Carvalho, Minister of Environment and Energy
A month after the great blackout, on the eve of World Energy Day, it is already time to make a state of the state of the national electrical system. The causes of blackout are not yet officially known, they are being the target of partial reports to join a preliminary European report at the end of September this year, and the final report will only be released in September 2026. But there are many questions that can and should ask now and require faster answers. It is important to see if the national electrical system could have reacted better to the energy failure of the Spanish network connections, if it had more natural gas centers to work linked to the national network.
Is it the national electrical system prepared to face new risk of blackout? And what was done in the meantime to reduce or minimize these risks? Is the energy transition, with the bet on more and more sources of renewable energy, to be made too quickly, creating network instability and uncertainty in supplies? Is it better to stop to think, or the energy transition is really to lead to the end, with Portugal to anticipate its own goals combined with the European Union, in an attitude of a good student and at the same time as a guinea pig of uncertain result expediences?
Why did successive governments promise us more energy independence with this transition, and what we have is increasingly and more imports of Electricity in Spain? And why do politicians guarantee us that renewables make electricity prices lower but the invoice for consumers is still very high, with Portuguese families paying the eighth highest average price in the eurozone? Issued on May 28 at SIC Notícias.
Business of the week is a program by José Gomes Ferreira. The terms and realities of the national and international economy explained every week at SIC Notícias. It goes on television Wednesday at 11pm, and is published in podcast on Thursday. Listen to more episodes:
