Wind energy in Brazil—present and future

In Brazil, the power generation is predominantly hydroelectric, corresponding approximately to 91.4% of the installed capacity. The energy crisis in the Brazilian electric sector meant the end of the centralized generation and the launching of a decentralized generation approach aiming to add to the existing plants through small- and medium power capacity. Such a condition matches the wind energy characteristic profile. In northeastern Brazil is one of the most promising areas for wind exploitation, where the largest wind speed occurs exactly when the rate of flow in Sao Francisco river, which accounts for all the power energy supply of the northeast region, is low. Thus, during this critical period, the wind farms can produce electrical energy, saving the Sao Francisco waters and on top of that with no environmental risk, thus contributing to the overall reduction of CO2 emission in the atmosphere. Because of those factors, the National Electrical Energy Agency (ANEEL), the Brazilian regulatory authority, has approved 77 projects for construction of wind farms, attracting foreign investment, besides the installation of wind turbine industries. The increasing use of the wind energy is prevailing over the absence of a specific legislation for the sector, but the National Congress has already taken some measures such as the act bill no. 2905/2000 and the temporary measure no. 14/2001.