Brazil faces no power shortage threats this year

At its first meeting this year on Wednesday (Jan. 13), the Power Industry Monitoring Committee (CMSE) said that there are no threats of power shortages this year in Southeast, Central West, and Northeast Brazil. According to the committee, there is a structural surplus of about 9,300 average megawatts to meet expected load.

“The power system is balanced in structural terms thanks to the country's installed generation and transmission capacity, which continues to be expanded as new power plants, power lines, and substations become operational,” the CMSE report read.

Last year, the committee estimated the odds of a power shortage in 2015 were 4.9% in the Southeast and Central West regions, and 1.2% in the Northeast. According to the committee, the National Grid Operator (ONS) will keep track of the hydropower conditions in the national grid, so it can establish the power output level that meets the system needs.

Last August, the CMSE decided to shut down more expensive thermal power plants following a rainfall increase that raised dam reservoir levels. In a statement, the committee said the rainfall in December 2015 was mostly higher than average in the South subsystem basins. In the Southeast, it rained above average into the Paraná and Paranapanema river basins, and below average into the Tietê, Grande, and Paranaíba river basins. The Northeast and North subsystem basins saw lower-than-average rainfalls.

The CMSE was established in 2004 to supervise the continuation and security of energy supply in the country. Its members include representatives from the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), the National Grid Operator (ONS), the Energy Research Corporation (EPE), the National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP), and the Chamber of Electricity Trade (CCEE).

Translated by Mayra Borges

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