Bahia is the state that produced the most wind energy in the first quarter of 2023

According to the Electric Energy director of the Association of Large Energy Consumers and Free Consumers (Abrace), Victor iOcca, electric energy is an essential good and, when a country manages to offer reliable and cheap energy to the population, this brings competitiveness for the industry. “It generates jobs, income, development for this country. This development will translate into a better quality of life for society as a whole”, he points out.

For the vice-president of Strategy and Communication at the Brazilian Association of Energy Traders (Abraceel), Bernardo Sicsú, electricity, mainly from renewable sources, is a natural path for Brazil, which has abundant natural resources conducive to generation electric.

This scenario can become even better with the new framework for the electricity sector (PL 414/2021), which has already been approved by the Senate, is awaiting the creation of a temporary commission by the board in the Chamber of Deputies. The bill will allow all electricity consumers to choose who they buy energy from, regardless of load and voltage used.

Currently, ordinary consumers and small companies are part of the captive market, or the regulated contracting environment (ACR), which have access to energy through distributors. In this scenario, citizens can only buy energy from the concessionaire that serves their region, subject to the tariffs charged by the company.

Parliamentarians defend the approval of the new framework for the electricity sector

Free market

PL 414 allows these users to have the option of switching to the free energy market, which is currently restricted to consumers with a load equal to or greater than 500 kilowatts. In this context, companies are free to choose which suppliers they will purchase electricity from, according to their individual needs. In this way, it is common for the value of the energy bill to be reduced.

The free energy market accounts for 30% of the energy consumed in Brazil, according to Abraceel. Furthermore, 85.5% of the country’s industrial consumption comes from the free market. For the vice-president of the association, the regulatory reform of the electricity sector has become necessary and urgent.

“Mainly because of the recent technological transformations and the demand from consumers who want greater protagonism and empowerment. Consumers want cheaper and renewable energy”, points out Bernardo Sicsú.

According to Deputy José Rocha (União-BA), signatory of the Parliamentary Front for the Sustainable Development of Petroleum and Renewable Energies (Freper), the free market is the right way to end the dependence of consumers. “It is much more economical for consumers to be able to produce their own energy, use what they need and be able to sell the surplus.”

Rocha claims that the country can be the pioneer of this model, and that the main advantage is renewable energy sources. “Brazil really has a very large potential for solar energy, and we also have wind energy. And they are renewable energies, which meet the desire of the whole world, which is to have no carbon production”, he informs.