Greater consumption also takes into consideration the crisis, which reduced industrial demand for electric energy in 2009. With economic growth expected for next year, this demand should also return to growth.
Still according to the EPE, if the Brazilian growth remains at around 5% a year from 2011 on, the consumption of energy should rise 5.2% a year by 2018.
The government is getting ready for expansion of consumption by promoting A-3 and A-5 auctions, which forecast the supply for the next three and five years. The A-3 took place in August and resulted in the purchase of 97.7% of the energy that distributors expected to be consumed by 2012.
The A-5, in turn, should take place in the first half of this year, but the date has not yet been defined. The government is awaiting environmental licenses for new hydroelectric power plants, to avoid the auction taking place considering just thermal-electric power plants – which is expensive and pollutes more.
Energy efficiency of the Brazilian matrix is one of the essential factors to guarantee the supply of the rising demand. The Ministry of Mines and Energy hopes that between 2010 and 2018 it may be possible to save 3% of consumption with promotion of efficiency.
The amount represents one and a half times the production of Jirau hydroelectric power plant, on Madeira River.