Energy imports by Brazil in 2018 is the highest in 17 years, the ONS data indicate

The amount of electricity imported by Brazil in 2018 was the biggest of the past 17 years, according to the National Electric System Operator (ONS). Last year the country imported 1,131 gigawatt-hour (GWh) of Argentina and Uruguay. The Bill does not consider the energy provided by Venezuela, which caters only to the State of Roraima. One of the reasons for the increase in imports is the rising price of energy produced inside of Brazil, a result of the fall in the water storage in the reservoirs of hydroelectric plants. Before 2018, the largest import was registered in 2001:3,917 GWh. That year, the country went through a rationing due to lack of rainfall. The volume imported in 2018 is equivalent to only 0.24% of all the energy consumed in Brazil last year (474,242 GWh). Although small, experts point out that the presence of this imported energy benefits consumers (read more below in this text). Incentive to import the electric interconnection with Argentina has Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay and can both import as export power. According to the ONS, the exchanges occur when there are "off of energy resources and generation in a country and need another, or to meet emergencies". Despite this interconnection exists for decades, Government measures and investments in the expansion of the network made in recent years were essential for the increase in imports in the past year. In 2016, for example, went into operation a new structure that increased the ability of energy exchanges between Brazil and Uruguay. Last year, the energy imported by 1,131 GWh Brazil, 866 GWh came from Uruguay. In addition, the Ministry of mines and energy has authorised companies, among them the Eletrobras, to import energy from Uruguay and Argentina to be sold in the Brazilian market. Consulted, the Eletrobras cited other factors that explain the increase in imports, as the excess generation in neighbouring countries and the rising price of energy produced inside of Brazil due to the low level of the reservoirs of hydroelectric plants, reflecting the lack of rains. When this occurs, the Government fires more thermal power plants, power plants that generate electricity by burning fuels such as oil and gas. The measure saves water from dams, but leaves the production cost of more expensive energy, affecting the pockets of consumers, who need to pay the extra fees the tariff flags. According to the Manager of Thymos Energy consulting, Daniela Souza, although small, the presence of imported energy in the country is important and advantageous for the consumer because it overrides an energy more expensive, which would be produced by thermal power plant installed in the country. "[Import] avoided generate too much heat," she said. In addition, said the consultant, imports also contributes to save water from dams that can be used during the driest period. According to Eletrobras, "all imports that occurred [in 2018] were advantageous to the consumer".