ABSTRACT
The energy situation in Portugal is one of double dependency: imports cover more than 80 per cent of the country's primary energy, while oil alone represents more than 70 per cent of the needs. Large hydro installations and biomass are the only two national sources of energy of some significance. The valorization of the endogenous potential is today one of the primary concerns of the Portuguese Governments energy policy together with external supply diversification and the improvement of energy system efficiency. The agricultural characteristics of the county small farms with low productivity as well as relatively low standards of living turns the city into the central focus for the overall development of the region. However, Bragana is a good example of a small city located in one of the less developed Portuguese regions and financially supported by European Corporation (EC) programmes, that tries to exploit its endogenous potential.
