Government wants to bring forward the operation of thermoelectric plants, says minister

The Minister of MME (Mines and Energy), Bento Albuquerque, said, in an interview with Rádio CBN, this Tuesday morning (22), that the Federal Government wants to bring forward the entry into operation of thermoelectric plants in the country, as well as the lines transmission.

The head of the Ministry also said that ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) would be negotiating so that planned maintenance in the segment could be postponed or brought forward, so as not to run out of energy during the period of water crisis. 

Albuquerque commented that the entity already has an ongoing program aimed at benefiting consumers who use less energy at certain times, but highlighted that the greatest difficulty will be measuring this reduction among residential customers. 

The minister also informed that the government does not work with the hypothesis of energy rationing and that more than 35 measures have been taken since last year to minimize the effects of the water crisis throughout the country. “If we had to work (with this hypothesis), we would work, but the conditions do not indicate this need,” he stated.

water MP

In a conversation with journalists who were in the Chamber of Deputies, this Monday (21), Albuquerque denied that the Federal Government would be forwarding to the National Congress an MP (Provisional Measure) for Rationing, which would grant powers to an interministerial committee to interfere in the management of hydroelectric plants.

However, the minister signaled that he will forward another MP to the Chamber of Deputies. According to him, this Provisional Measure will cover the governance of the water crisis. “It will probably be an MP, but it’s not about rationing”, he commented. When questioned, he only revealed that the document will seek to provide more “legal certainty in the governance of the water crisis”.

Firm positioning  

In recent weeks, Albuquerque has been categorical in saying that Brazil is not at risk of energy rationing, even with the country's main reservoirs presenting critical levels of water reserves. According to the minister, the Federal Government he has I'madopted specific measures to guarantee the energy security, such as the import of energy from Argentina and Uruguay and the dispatch of thermoelectric plants to preserve reservoirs.

Primer 

Last week, the MME and EPE (Energy Research Company) launched a booklet with the aim of facilitating the population's understanding of the country's water crisis. The document was called by the entities “Water Scarcity and the Supply of Electric Energy in Brazil” and explains the importance of hydroelectric plants for generating electricity in the country.

The information also discusses the need to relax operational restrictions at this time and the actions that have been taken by the Federal Government to guarantee the supply of electricity throughout the national territory. The booklet also includes a comparison between the electrical matrix and the evolution of transmission lines installed in Brazil between 2001 and 2020, in addition to presenting how society can contribute to ensuring that the scenario does not worsen further.  

To access the booklet, simply click here.