Portugal to vigorously promote green energy
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The Portuguese government will vigorously promote a switch from traditional to renewable energies under a plan to reach complete energy independence by 2020, presented in Lisbon on Tuesday.
Underpinning the plan is a desire to protect the environment and create jobs.
Already the fifth largest producer of renewable energies in the European Union, Portugal aims to speed up its production and usage of green energies, including wind, water and solar power.
The Dams National Plan, for example, will allow Portugal to raise its use of water power from the current 46 percent to around 70 percent within 10 years.
Energy secretary Carlos Zorrinho said the new industry would create more than 120,000 jobs, reduce Portugal's oil imports by two billion euros (2.76 billion U.S. dollars) and cut the country's CO2 emission.
Prime Minister Jose Socrates urged the government to implement the plan quickly, as "we want to be in the world's frontline (of green energies)," he said.
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