Blackout in Brazil...what now?
The unplanned power outages that occurred this month of November in Brazil, lasted hundred hours. The maximum allowed by regulations is 20 hours/YEAR!
They created an environment conducive to identifying what this is about. In the media there is a list of narratives. The most frequent:
- The local utility is largely to blame for not ensuring the integrity of its networks
- The City Hall is responsible for not carrying out the pruning as it should to leave the networks "free"
- It is the firefighters who do not remove trees that pose a risk of falling because they are unable to support themselves.
Although these "assertions" have their logic, I prefer another approach:
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- ANEEL(regulator)Â has the statutory function of supervising networks
- The City Hall is responsible for keeping lighting and low voltage networks clean, pruning whenever necessary
- The Concessionaire must, by regulation, prune the surrounding areas of high voltage networks
- Firefighters must remove trees that pose a danger of falling into the nets
The episode that occurred (blackout) is solely a gross failure of ALL those involved.
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- If ANEEL were to monitor systemically as required by its statutes, it would fine ALL offenders and give them time to remedy the situation as required by the rules.
- If the City Hall fulfilled its part, low voltage networks would not be exposed to blackouts
- If the Concessionaire fulfilled its part, the high voltage networks would remain operational
CONCLUSION: our "actors" are all TERRIBLE. They do not comply with the most basic established rules. And our justice acquiesces in this regrettable state of affairs.
The Brazilian market DOES NOT actually have interlocutors, despite paying them handsomely (associated costs embedded in tariffs).
The electricity sector also reflects our underdevelopment.