The electricity transmission network: what REN does

In short: the transmission network carries electricity at very high voltage from power plants to city networks. In Portugal it is run by REN.

This is Part 3 of the series. We have seen generation; now let us see how energy travels.

The motorways of electricity

Power plants are often far from cities. For the energy to get there without being lost on the way, the transmission network works at very high voltage. It is like a motorway: it carries a lot of energy, fast and over long distances. This network also includes electrical links with Spain.

Who runs the network?

The transmission system operator is REN – Rede Elétrica Nacional. It plans the network for the medium and long term, looking 10 years ahead, and makes sure it is ready for new consumption and new generation, especially renewable.

Balance in real time

Because electricity is hard to store, what is produced must equal what is consumed at every moment. This job is called global system management. REN follows everything in real time and decides which plants come on or go off, so there is energy in high-demand hours ("peak") and low-demand hours ("off-peak").

Does this affect my bill?

Yes, indirectly: using the networks has a cost, which is part of your bill. We see how in Part 7. Before that, we need to meet the distribution network, which takes the energy to your street.