BRASILIA – Brazil’s vice president, Hamilton Mourao, said on Wednesday that a severe drought could force the country into energy rationing.
Brazil, one of the world’s agricultural superpowers, is suffering from one of its worst droughts in a century. The lack of rainfall has emptied hydroelectric reservoirs, fueled inflation, and hurt farmers. The government has provided incentives to use less energy but said rationing is not expected.
Brazil’s Mines and Energy minister Bento Albuquerque said on Tuesday that the country’s energy crisis was worse than previously thought. He added that Brazil lost hydropower output equal to the energy consumed by the city of Rio de Janeiro in five months.
Separately on Tuesday, the ministry announced it would once again raise energy prices, with affected consumers paying on average 6.78 percent more for electricity, which started on Sept. 1.(Reuters)
