World Cup Energy Demand Favoring Gas Over Wind in Brazil
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Brazil, the second-biggest producer of hydroelectricity, is seeking to increase the use of fossil fuels after the worst drought in 50 years depleted reservoirs, underscoring a limit to renewable energy.
The country’s energy ministry revised rules for power auctions last week in an effort to accelerate development of natural gas and coal-fired thermal power plants. The policies may boost the sale of contracts for energy made from fossil fuels by 50 percent this year to 1,500 megawatts mostly at the expense of wind energy, according to Erik Rego, director of research company Excelencia Energetica Consultoria Empresarial Ltda.