Electricity can be generated from different sources, depending on the energy source that is used:

• wind energy: converted into electricity by wind generators, onshore and offshore
• hydropower: in rivers, from dams and watercourses, harnessing the energy of water flows and waterfalls in hydroelectric power stations, or on the sea converting the wave energy
• nuclear energy: the energy released by the fission of uranium atoms is converted into electricity in nuclear power stations. There are no nuclear power stations in Portugal
• solar energy: through photovoltaic cells in panels that convert solar energy into electricity
• thermal energy: by burning combustible substances such as natural gas, fuel oil, coal, a range of hydrocarbons (propane, methane, etc.), forest biomass, urban, forest, agricultural and hazardous waste (industrial, hospital, etc.)
• storage: recovering the stored energy, including electrical vehicles

Decree-Law Nº 15/2022, of 14 january, which transposed Directive (EU) 2019/944 and Directive (EU) 2018/2001, abolished the distinction between Production under the Ordinary Regime (Produção em Regime Ordinário - PRO) and Production under the Special Regime (Produção em Regime Especial - PRE).

Decree-Law No. 15/2022 came to regulate electrical energy production regimes and promote the growth of self-consumption and storage activities, in accordance with the aforementioned European Directives.

In Mainland Portugal, Decree-Law No 76/2019 came into force on 3 June, reviewing the regulatory framework for PRE, which can now be performed both under the guaranteed remuneration regime and the general remuneration regime. Under the former, producers sell electricity produced in a given period at a guaranteed price (fixed or indexed to a market price benchmark, with or without minimum and/or maximum thresholds), a competitive mechanism for setting a guaranteed tariff being included. Under the general remuneration regime, producers sell electricity at a market price.

ERSE provides information on PRE with guaranteed remuneration, which presents amounts invoiced, energy produced, average tariff price and installed capacity, according to production technology.

For more details, take a look at the historical information on PRE.

Producer include:

• Grupo EDP (Produção)
• TrustEnergy -Turbogás - Produtora Energética, S.A.

The list of producers under the Special Regime, which is quite large, may be found on the DGEG website.

To find out more about this, have a look at the pedagogical guide Electricity: how does it work?