Summer time: Lula government decides next week – 10/01/2024 – Panel SA

The Lula (PT) government wants to decide by next week whether or not to resume summer time. The measure is being analyzed to try to reduce the demand on the electrical system amid the drought in the reservoirs.

In addition to increasing the security of the system, the MME (Ministry of Mines and Energy) defends the measure as a way to avoid the even more intensive use of thermal plants, which produce more expensive energy and could boost the tariffs charged to consumers.

The measure faces criticism from sectors such as the airline industry, which warned that it needed at least 180 days to adapt its activities, since flights are already being sold following schedules and connections defined at the beginning of the year.

The possible resumption of summer time was also the objective of conversations with the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), to prevent any decision from having an impact on the second round of municipal elections, which will take place on October 27th.

Daylight saving time was abolished in 2019 by the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL). Its resumption was recommended by the ONS (National Electric System Operator) in a meeting on September 19th.

For the MME (Ministry of Mines and Energy), there is no energy generation problem, but the tariff issue will be “very relevant” to the final decision.

“I want, by next week, to have completed a more transversal vision, to make a decision on whether or not it is necessary to enact daylight saving time. We have no energy risk for 2025, but we have tariff impacts, and this is very relevant”, he says Minister Alexandre Silveira.

Idiana Tomazelli (interim) with Diego Felix

LINK PRESENT: Did you like this text? Subscribers can access seven free accesses from any link per day. Just click the blue F below.