The President of the Government highlighted today the strategic goal of reinforcing the Region's sustainability and energy autonomy, which includes investments in the area of renewable energies and the adoption of standards that ensure an ever greater efficiency in energy consumption. 
 
“We have already followed a path that should make us proud in terms of renewable energy production, but we must move towards increasing energy efficiency in consumption, for example, at the level of electric mobility and public buildings,” said Vasco Cordeiro. 

The President of the Government spoke a session for the presentation of the investment of EDA Group for the next few years, which took place as part of the second day of the Regional Government's statutory visit to the island of Flores. 

According to him, the reinforcement of energy efficiency is essential for the Region to achieve the results it intends in this area, thus “contributing to the effort” that has been made in terms of investments in the production of renewable energy on various islands. 

“In this field, it is necessary to bear in mind that these investments, in addition to the value they have in themselves, are aimed at a more global purpose. 

This strategy is directly related to the energy autonomy goal, specifically in terms of making the Region less and less dependent on sources of energy production that require a continuous flow of raw materials from the outside,” stressed Vasco Cordeiro. 

After recalling that the Azores, as an archipelago region, need nine energy production systems, the President of the Government stressed that EDA provides an important contribution in implementing this strategy, which is defined at regional level. 
 
“These investments to be made by EDA evidence the value of this Group for the Region, firstly, as a regional company, but also as a company with a majority public shareholding,” said Vasco Cordeiro. 

"This value, often reduced to dividends, cannot be overlooked in terms of what it represents for the Autonomous Region of the Azores," concluded the President of the Government. 

In the regional electricity generation system, renewable energy sources accounted for about 37% of the total electricity produced in the archipelago in 2019, with the geothermal source taking the lead (24%), followed by wind (9%) and water (4%). 

The EDA Group's investment plan for 2020-2024 provides for an allocation of 158 million Euros, with 105 million Euros directed to renewable energy sources and 53 million to energy storage systems.