1989, with an investment of about 30 million contos, at 1972 prices (about 350 million euros at 2010 prices). In 1974 CPE contracted a consulting firm to evaluate the best site for the installation of the first Portuguese nuclear power plant. Ferrel, near Peniche, was chosen as the best option. In April 1974 the Estado Novo, the authoritarian right-leaning regime of Portugal, was overthrown due to a leftist military coup. Another study was exposed in December 1977 to the secretary for energy and mines, which presented the possibility of building 4 to 7 4000 MWe nuclear reactors between 1990 and 2000. The government though decided to delay the decision. 1980 to 1986 The national energy plan in 1982 included the opening of a nuclear plant that generated 950 MWe power in 1995, which would lead to a nuclear program that would bring up to 9000 MWe of installed power by 2010. The VIII Constitutional Government did not approve this plan, but sent it to be discussed in a public debate. The following version of the National Energy Plan, in 1984, also planned the installation of 950 MWe reactors between 1998 and 2010, but the decision process stopped while doing location analysis because the International Atomic Energy Agency would not reach a formal position on the issue. The official halt to a possible nuclear energy plan came from the State Secretary of Environment of the X Constitutional Government in 1986. Although the Minister for Industry and Commerce and the State Secretary of Industry did not agree with this position, the then Prime Minister of Portugal Aníbal Cavaco Silva rectified it, becoming an official government decision. 20-year hiatus In the following 20 years, nuclear energy became a taboo for Portugal. The XIII Constitutional Government (1995–1999), led by António Guterres, decided to adopt an energy policy focused on renewable energies. At the end of that parliamentary term, the government emitted the joint order number 531/99, in which it formalized the position of Portugal on the nuclear energy issue at international level. The overal position is a gradual retirement from both the industry and the research and development scene in this field. These propositions are popular amongst the people, who 70% do not want nuclear plants built in their country. 2005 to present It was only in February 2005 that nuclear was brought once again to attention when the businessman Patrick Monteiro de Barros,