Power-Starved Brazil May Shut Down on Fridays

LCG, July 12, 2001—Brazil's government unveiled yesterday its backup plan for getting the country through its worst-ever electricity shortage, including the possibility that Fridays could be declared a holiday the 80 percent of the nation's 170 million people who are now subject to power rationing.

Forced blackouts are also a possibility, said Pedro Parente, head of Brazil's energy crisis task force. He stressed, however, that the situation was currently under control and the measures would not be implemented unless it deteriorated.

In addition to heading up the power crisis task force, Parente is chief of staff to President Henrique Cardoso.

Under what was being called "Plan B," Fridays could become a holiday in most of Brazil with forced power cuts during the long weekends. Weekday blackouts of up to four hours duration would be a last ditch measure.

All of Brazil's actions are aimed at preserving the dwindling amounts of water in the impoundments behind the country's hydroelectric facilities, which provide more than 90 percent of Brazil's electricity. After two years of drought, reservoir levels are at historic lows.

http://www.energyonline.com/news/articles/gJul12-3.asp

Rationing has worked so far, according to energy sector officials. After a month of cutbacks, the largest reservoirs are slightly above projected levels. But should those levels drop one-half of one percentage point below the monthly estimate of Brazil's grid operator, Plan B could be invoked.

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), July 13, 2001