Discords around solar photovoltaic power plants in Portugal

Abstract

This article addresses the discords around solar photovoltaic power plants in Portugal, in order to add knowledge to the scholarly literature regarding environmental issues in the country. Based on multiple sources of information, the article shows that despite the high public support for solar-generated electricity, the proposals for the construction of such energy infrastructures have been evoking increasing opposition from local actors and environmental organizations. The main reasons pinpointed relate to environmental, landscape and economic damages caused by prospective land use changes, as well as to procedural injustices in the planning and consultation phases.