Electricity: competitive solutions
The Brazilian strategy of this century favored the expansion of supply through thermal plants and solar/wind.
The good news was avoiding new rationing/blackouts. The bad one was a huge, permanent increase in power costs. Brazil has become the BRICS' (Brazil, Russia, China, India, and South Africa) laggard in $/MWh.
Two alternatives should be explored to lower our power cost.
1st) Resume the plants with reservoirs
Thus, the plants could produce much more energy per installed capacity.
2nd) Pump water into the reservoirs
At off-peak hours, when systemic demand is lower, pump water back to the reservoir.
Conceptually simple solutions, tested with great success, that emit less CO2 than the alternatives and, above all, offer super attractive costs.
Rafael Herzberg
Expert Member
Top Contributor