Energy and Environment Agency of Alto Alentejo

The Energy and Environment Agency of Alto Alentejo (Agência Regional de Energia e Ambiente do Norte Alentejo e Tejo – AREANATejo) is a regional energy agency operating in 15 municipalities in the district of Portalegre, Portugal.

Established in July 2002 under the European Commission’s SAVE Programme, AREANATejo was created through the joint initiative of the 15 municipalities belonging to the Association of Municipalities of Alto Alentejo. It is a private non-profit entity pursuing regional and local public interests.

The Agency’s mission is to promote energy efficiency, the rational use of endogenous resources and renewable energy, contributing to the sustainable development and carbon neutrality of the Alto Alentejo sub-region.

AREANATejo works closely with municipalities and regional stakeholders to support sustainable mobility, circular economy initiatives, climate adaptation and mitigation actions, and local energy planning.

European and National Engagement

AREANATejo plays an active role in strengthening the capacity of local authorities for energy transition. It supports the EU Covenant of Mayors initiative and has been a Promoter since 2021. Since 2025, it also integrates the “Energy Transition in Rural Areas” group of the Rural Pact Community Platform.

The Agency is a member of RNAE – the Portuguese Association of Energy and Environment Agencies – and collaborates closely with regional, national and international organisations.

AREANATejo has participated in more than 16 national projects and over 30 European projects under programmes including INTERREG POCTEP, INTERREG MED, INTERREG EURO-MED, INTERREG SUDOE, LIFE, Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and CERV.

Ongoing Projects

AREANATejo is currently involved in several European projects addressing energy transition and regional sustainability, including:

• LIFE SMART – Supporting small municipalities in designing and managing energy transition strategies.
• LIFE ENTRACK – Strengthening clean energy transition capacities in Mediterranean rural municipalities.
• TRANSCOM EUROACE – Promoting cross-border energy communities and advisory services.
• FEENERT – Improving energy efficiency in traditional public buildings.
• SharedH2 – Promoting renewable hydrogen as distributed storage in local energy communities.
• RECinMED – Supporting renewable energy communities in urban, rural and insular Mediterranean contexts.
• Streets for Citizens – Advancing tactical urbanism and sustainable territorial planning.
• RuralMEDMobility – Improving electric mobility infrastructure in rural areas.

Through these initiatives, AREANATejo contributes to knowledge exchange, innovation and the practical implementation of sustainable solutions at local and European levels.