Portugal Just Powered Itself Exclusively on Renewable Energy for Four Whole Days
Last week, the nation of Portugal achieved something remarkable. For 107 hours—about four days—the country ran on nothing but wind, solar and hydro power.
Running a country of about 10 million people without any fossil fuels is certainly an impressive feat. The weather helped: sunny, breezy days optimized energy-collection and mild temperatures didn’t strain the grid with excessive heating or cooling needs. Of course, this figure only nods to utilities—it doesn’t include the gas-powered vehicles on streets. But it does mean that any electric vehicles that were charged during that period were truly zero-emission vehicles.
Perhaps more inspiring than the achievement itself is how much Portugal’s energy portfolio has changed from just a few years ago, thanks to major investments, according to The Guardian: