EN 
PT_BR 
Five days after President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) announced the end of the Water Scarcity flag on the electricity bill and the entry into force of the green flag As of April 16, the ONS (National Electric System Operator) reported yesterday (11) that the country must now maintain the exemption from the extra energy tariff until the end of the year.
The entity, which is responsible for coordinating the electrical energy generation and transmission operations of the SIN (National Interconnected System), justified the decision by highlighting that the volume of rain recorded since the end of last year and the current situation of the main Brazilian reservoirs will allow for the country to get through the rest of the year in a safer way than in 2021.
At the time, Brazil was on the verge of an energy collapse due to the greater water crisis of the last 91 years and the low level of reservoirs.
To avoid shortages and blackouts, the Federal government had to intervene and take measures such as purchasing energy from neighboring countries, such as Argentina and Uruguay, and activating all thermal generation plants, which are more expensive and polluting.
The problem facing the country, in the evaluation of professionals and entities in the energy sector, could have been avoided if the Federal Government had diversified the national energy matrix, which despite being modified in recent years with the growth of new renewable sources, is still far from ideal.
Currently, hydroelectric plants are responsible for around 65% of energy generation in the country. Solar and wind energy, for example, despite breaking generation and growth records, currently account for less than 15% of participation in the matrix.
Despite the criticism, the ONS highlighted that it considers the Federal Government's decision to contract emergency thermal plants last year to have been correct. For the entity, these plants should guarantee, by December 2025, the energy reserve that was considered necessary for a long-term recovery.
Tariff flags
The tariff flag system is what defines the real cost of energy. When energy generation conditions are not favorable, it is necessary to activate thermoelectric plants, increasing costs. Therefore, additional charges aim to cover the difference and also work to curb the population's consumption.
When the green flag is in force (a modality that must be adopted by the end of the year) there are no additions to the electricity bill. In the yellow flag, the consumer pays an additional R$ 1.87 for each kWh consumed. The red flag is divided: at level 1, the increase is R$ 3.97 and at level 2 it is R$ 9.49.
In September last year, due to the biggest water crisis in the last 91 years, already mentioned above in the report, the water scarcity flag was created, which set an increase of R$ 14.20 for every 100 kWh consumed.
The measure aimed to offset the costs of energy generation, which became more expensive due to the water crisis.
