The Minister of Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, stated that Brussels supports public participation in REN (Rede Eléctrica Nacional) because it considers that this provides "greater security". The statement was made in the context of the discussion about the shareholder structure of the company that operates the electricity transmission network in Portugal.
According to the minister, among the companies that are part of the European network of transmission system operators, Portugal was the only country whose company was "completely private". This particularity placed Portugal in a singular position relative to the other European countries.
Brussels' position in favor of greater public participation in REN comes as an endorsement of the Portuguese Government's intentions to change the company's shareholder structure, reinforcing the State's role in the national energy sector.
The question of public participation in REN has been gaining relevance in the debate about the country's energy security, with the Executive defending that greater state control can contribute to a more robust and stable management of the national electrical infrastructure.
