RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Bento Albuquerque, said there will be no extension of the electricity tariff exceptionally created due to the water shortage and set to end in April.
“It’s over, it’s really over. Just as they asked me in the past if we were working with the possibility of rationing and blackouts, and I said we weren’t, if you ask me now about the water shortage tariff, I tell you that we are not planning to extend it because of the measures we have adopted,” he said.
The Minister said he does not rule out anticipating the end of the most expensive tariff. That is, to cease collecting the water scarcity flag before April. “Nothing is done at will. The Electricity Sector Monitoring Committee is in charge of governing this. Conditions permitting, it can be revised.”
The Committee is chaired by the Minister and comprises members of the National Electric Energy Agency (ANEEL), the National Petroleum Agency (ANP), the National Electric System Operator (ONS) and the Ministry of Mines and Energy. The group met last Wednesday and decided to maintain the operation of thermoelectric plants, which produce more expensive energy.
However, this doesn’t mean that the tariff may not be raised again at another time, if necessary. The Minister emphasized the importance of working within the safety margins of reservoirs.
The water scarcity flag was established by the government in August 2021 at R$14.20 (US$2.57) per 100 kWh. It is about 50% more expensive than the red flag level 2.