The Chamber of Deputies returned, this Thursday morning (17), to discuss the text of MP 998 (Provisional Measure 998/2020), which changes the rules of the electricity sector. The session began with a request to postpone the vote.
On Wednesday night (16), the replacement for the rapporteur on the matter, deputy Léo Moraes (Pode-RO), was approved by the majority of deputies. During Thursday's session, several deputies requested a request to remove the matter about MP 998 from the agenda.
However, all were denied by the majority of parliamentarians. Several deputies are against the text contained in the text of MP 998 that deals with the benefits granted to renewable sources. “If you are going to remove subsidies from clean energy, remove dirty ones too. It makes no sense to maintain subsidies for diesel plants”, highlighted deputy Kim Kataguiri (DEM-SP).
Deputy Danilo Forte (PSDB-CE) highlighted that the MP punishes the Northeast region, one of the main producers of wind and solar energy. “While the country spends R$40 billion a year on subsidies for thermal plants, only R$4,2 billion goes to wind and solar energy.”
Rapporteur Léo Moraes changed the text of the MP and extended the term of benefits, which would end in September, to 12 months after the law's enactment. Furthermore, the deputy stated that the GD is not in the discussion. “We have not discussed distributed generation at any time. So, there is no discussion of taxing the Sun. Let's make it very clear so that everyone can have a clear conscience and that the population can understand”, said Moraes.
In his text, the rapporteur also accepted an amendment that allows concessionaires and licensees of the public electricity distribution service to apply research and development resources to technologies for storing solar, wind and biomass energy.
MP 998 should be analyzed in the Chamber Plenary. Remembering that every MP has the force of law since its publication, but is valid for up to 120 days. If it is not approved by the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate within this period, or if it is rejected, it loses its validity.
