The Brazilian National Forum of State Energy Secretaries is meeting through today in Recife, in northeastern Brazil, to discuss alternatives to prevent a repetition of the energy rationing that occurred in Brazil in 2001-2002.
Working approaches for the formulation of national energy plans are being presented at the meeting.
According to Amilcar Gonçalves, director of Economic and Energy Studies of the Energy Research Company, planning for the sector, even though it must be cast in terms of the country as a whole, cannot ignore regional particularities.
Professor Sérgio Bajay, of the State University of Campinas, in the state of São Paulo, informed that one of the topics under discussion is the substitution of hydroelectric generation by other energy sources.
"We are analyzing the best alternatives, advantages, costs of installing thermoelectric plants powered by gas, wind power, biomass, and environmental rehabilitation in the São Francisco River basin," he said.
According to Bajay, another pending issue is electric energy pricing. "It is pointless for us to have supply, if the prices are beyond the buying power of a sizable part of the population," he affirmed.
Agência Brasil
