The first half of 2026 was marked by a number of legislative and regulatory developments affecting Portugal's renewable energy sector. Among these, Decree-Law No. 130/2026 stands out for introducing significant amendments to Decree-Law No. 15/2022, including the creation of Renewable Energy Acceleration Areas (Zonas de Aceleração de Energias Renováveis – ZAER), streamlining of permitting procedures, and revisions to the legal framework governing self-consumption, energy communities and grid access, while further aligning Portuguese legislation with RED III and the revised EU Electricity Market Design.
The first half of 2026 also saw a number of legislative and regulatory initiatives aimed at fostering the deployment of electricity storage. These included new licensing procedures, technical requirements for grid connection and operation, and the publication of the draft rules for Portugal's first competitive auctions for electricity storage projects. Together, these measures start to pave the way for the allocation of grid capacity to large-scale battery storage projects.
Set out below is an overview of the main legislative and regulatory developments adopted in Portugal between January and June 2026 that are of particular relevance to the renewable energy sector.
1. National Legislation
Ordinance No. 15/2026/1 (09.01.2026)
Regulates the exceptional procedure for the allocation of grid connection capacity to electricity consumption installations in high-demand zones, as provided for in Decree-Law no. 80/2023.
For more information on this subject, please refer to our legal update of January 12th
Order No. 1135/2026 (02.02.2026)
Recognizes the mainland territory covered by the Public Electricity Service Network (Rede Elétrica de Serviço Público - “RESP”) as a High-Demand Zone (Zona de Grande Procura - “ZGP”) and sets the opening of the exceptional procedure.
For more information on this subject, please refer to our legal update of February 2nd.
Order No. 1532-B/2026 (06.02.2026)
Sets out the planning of the Sectoral Programme for Renewable Energy Acceleration Zones (Programa Setorial das Zonas de Aceleração da Implantação de Energias Renováveis – “PSZAER”).
Decree-Law No. 58/2026 (20.02.2026)
Establishes the Agency for Geology and Energy, I.P (Agência de Geologia e Energia, I.P. - “AGE”) replacing the Portuguese Directorate of Energy and Geology (Direção-Geral de Energia e Geologia – "DGEG") and consolidating the competences of several public entities to streamline coordination and create a single licensing interlocutor.
Order No. 4411-A/2026 (02.04.2026)
Establishes the conditions for the full exemption from the charges corresponding to energy policy, sustainability and general economic interest costs levied on public electricity service network access tariffs, applicable to individual or collective self-consumption projects and renewable energy communities that obtain the conditions to carry out their activity between 2026 and 2029.
Decree-Law No. 94/2026 (30.04.2026)
Amends Decree-Law No. 62/2020, governing the organisation, operation and legal framework of the National Gas System, and partially transposes Directives (EU) 2024/1788 and (EU) 2023/1791 on common rules for the internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen, and on energy efficiency.
Ordinance No. 218/2026/1 (12.05.2026)
Approves the provisional statues of the Agency for Geology and Energy, I.P..
Ordinance No. 226/2026/1 (20.05.2026)
Establishes the procedure for excise duty (ISP) exemptions applicable to certified advanced biofuels and renewable gases.
Decree-Law No. 100/2026 (22.05.2026)
Establishes a complementary framework to Portuguese National Electricity System, regulating the dynamic management of grid connection capacity titles on the Portuguese Public Electricity Grid.
For more information on this subject, please refer to our legal update of June 25th.
Establishes the legal framework governing renewable energy use agreement and provides for the tacit approval in the licensing of renewable self-consumption generation units.
For more information on this subject, please refer to our legal update of June 23rd.
Order No. 7909/2026 (24.06.2026)
Launches the preparation of Portugal's Green Industrial Strategy, defining its objectives, governance framework, key content and implementation timetable to support industrial decarbonisation and competitiveness.
Decree-Law No. 130/2026 (29.06.2026)
Amends the legal framework governing the Portuguese National Electricity System, introducing Renewable Acceleration Areas (Zonas de Aceleração de Energias Renováveis – ZAER), streamlined permitting, and updated rules on self-consumption, energy sharing and grid access.
Ordinance No. 281-A/2026/1 (29.06.2026)
Establishes the regulatory framework for the Recovery and Resilience Plan funded support scheme for the production of renewable hydrogen and other renewable gases, setting out eligibility criteria, funding conditions and application procedures for grant beneficiaries.
2. DGEG rulings
Notice No. 16-A/2026 (03.02.2026)
Opening of a public consultation for the submission of expressions of interest for the allocation of grid connection capacity to the Portuguese Public Electricity Grid in a High-Demand Zone (Zonas de Grande Procura - “ZGP”).
For more information on this subject, please refer to our legal update of February 4th.
3. ERSE rulings
Regulation No. 8/2026 (06.01.2026)
Amends the Electricity Self-Consumption Regulation and related sector regulations to implement the new electric mobility framework, enabling self-consumption for eligible EV charging points and introducing rules on internal metering and data management.
Directive No. 1/2026 (27.03.2026)
Establishes the methodology and compensation for the transfer of unused electricity grid connection capacity in high-demand areas.
Directive No. 2/2026 (15.04.2026)
Extends to mainland Portugal the framework governing the transfer of unused electricity grid connection capacity in high-demand areas, including the applicable compensation methodology.
4. Public consultations
Notice No. 14136-B/2026/2 (08.06.2026)
Opens the public consultation on the proposed Sectoral Programme for Renewable Energy Acceleration Areas (Programa Setorial das Zonas de Aceleração da Implantação de Energias Renováveis – “PSZAER”) and its accompanying environmental reports.
For more information on this subject, please refer to our legal update of June 24th.
Establishes new procedures for obtaining prior control titles for electricity storage facilities, consolidating the licensing framework for standalone and co-located storage projects and repealing Order No. 1859/2025.
For more information on this subject, please refer to our legal update of June 18th.
Establishes the general technical conditions and requirements for connecting electricity storage facilities to the Portuguese Public Electricity Grid, including frequency response, grid-forming and synthetic inertia requirements.
Tender Documents for standalone storage and co-located storage (29.06.2026)
Portuguese Government has launched a public consultation on the tender rules for the country's first electricity storage capacity auctions, covering 750 MVA of standalone storage and 300 MVA of co-located storage.
For more information on this subject, please refer to our legal update of July 3rd.