In the FHC government, consumers suffered with the privatization of Eletrobras, but this time it may be different, as there are other energy sources growing in the country, such as solar energy, which generates savings of R$ 2.700 per year in the consumer's pocket.

In recent years, solar energy has been acquired at surprising levels and, increasingly, has been gaining prominence, and now that there is a possible privatization of Eletrobras, consumers' electricity bills have a great chance of increasing by around 14%, thus making solar energy the new option for consumers.

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Previous problems and the use of solar energy

Consumers have already had some problems with privatization, such as during Fernando Henrique's government, when a privatization process was started and there were some blackouts.

However, this time it may be different, as consumers now have other options with the arrival of new energy sources, such as solar energy. With the installation of photovoltaic equipment on the roofs for distributed generation, consumers can save approximately R$ 2.700 per year.

The discussion of the implementation of distributed energy

According to Leonardo Soares, state secretary for Economic Development, Energy and International Relations, the Pereira Passos Institute estimated that, on average, the consumption of a residence in the city of Rio de Janeiro is around 165 kilowatts, that is, a bill of R$ 185 per month.

To install a solar energy capture system, consumers should invest around R$ 15. Taking into account the average consumption in Rio de Janeiro, and savings of BRL 2.700 per year, around 5 and a half years, consumers have already managed to cover the entire investment in solar energy and would continue to save this amount even after paying all this investment.

According to Camila Nascimento, coordinator of the Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy (absolate) in Rio de Janeiro, for the solar energy sector to gain strength, it will be necessary for the legislation on Tax on Operations related to the Circulation of Goods and on the Provision of Interstate and Intermunicipal Transport and Communication Services (ICMS) to be adequate.

“Through Law 8.922/2020, the state was able to compare its conditions with those of Minas in relation to the ICMS exemption, but there are particularities that still need to be clarified. Therefore, we are looking for an ICMS exemption of up to 5 megs, adjusting the text to the distributed generation modalities, and adapting the benefit to the energy tariff components.” Camila said.

Get a better understanding of the privatization of Eletrobras

The proposal, which was delivered to the National Congress by the Government, proposes that Eletrobras sell new common shares on the Stock Exchange and also provides that the Union has the right to a special share, known as the Golden share.

The MP for the privatization of Eletrobras also establishes that the company will spend around R$ 3,5 billion over ten years to revitalize the São Francisco river basin and more than half a million for reducing energy generation courses in the Amazon and for the reservoir basins of the Furnas plant.