Fonte: ANEEL
ANEEL shall submit to a document-exchange public hearing the draft of a resolution to improve the criteria for investments in power-efficiency programs. The decision to hold the hearing was made last Monday, August 1st, by the Agency’s Board of Directors. The idea is to improve the appropriation of financial resources in favor of projects with the highest added technological value. The proposal can be viewed under the link Audiências/Consultas on the website of ANEEL: www.aneel.gov.br.
The proposed regulation considers the implementation of a reduction of the companies’ obligation (established by Law no. 9910/00) to invest in the mentioned programs, from 0.50% to 0.25% of their net operational revenue. This change, to start on January 2006, will concern concessionaires grossing annual electric-power sales equal to 1 thousand gigawatts-hour (GWh) or higher. The percentage in question may be expanded within the range of 0.25% to 0.50%, for companies with annual sales of less than 1 thousand gigawatts-hour (GWh).
The draft resolution recommends that distributors open and keep a specific account for power-efficiency program funds. The draft specifies that 90% of total program value shall be applied to projects geared to low-income communities and the recovery of commercial losses.
Contributions can be submitted until September 2nd, by email (ap021_2005@aneel.gov.br), fax (61 3426-5839) or mail: SGAN, Quadra 603, Módulo I, Térreo, Protocolo Geral da Aneel, CEP 70.830-030, Brasília-DF, Brazil.
Investments in power-efficiency programs are provided for in the concession contracts, under the obligations of electric-power distributors, and further governed by Law No. 9.991/00. Since their inception, in 1998, power-efficiency programs have averaged estimated savings on the order of 4 thousand GWh per year. Plus, they have allowed a load-peak curtailment of the order of 1,140 megawatts (MW) . Investments made by distributors total approximately R$ 1.4 billion.
