Expansion of distributed generation analysis-government incentives-technical and environment aspects

Abstract

The Brazilian electricity industry option for the big plants on the expansion of energy sources has been the result of the strong Constructors Lobby, which was used to introduce the big ones to benefit this group. The environment costs introduction are related to the preparation of Environment Impact Studies (EIA) and Environment Impact Report (RIMA); the admission of these documents in the official committees; and, the preparation and execution of an environment project, which make viable the plant implantation by the mitigation or compensation of identified impacts on the studies. This introduction resulted in important costs portion, and this consideration, at least, might change the projects ordination [1]. The inheritance of this period was the consolidation of the technology used for the big plants, forming the Brazilian conception of hydraulic generation, with merit indexes associated to the big hydroelectric plants. It resulted, in the end, at the unfeasibility of small hydroelectric generation plants, which present unitary energy costs higher than the average of big plants, but with small environmental impacts. The electricity industry reorganization has introduced a significant number of new procedures, rules and actors, such as the Energy Independent Producer (PIE) and the Self-Producer; and also, the State role change, from utility to now regulator and inspector[2][3]. It made viable the offer expansion in different forms, distributed and competitive in the energy market, through the small and medium plants (hydraulic and thermal) and, also the unconventional plants (wind and solar ones), with the government incentives like PROINFRA. The utilities and the regulator ANEEL — National Electric Energy Agency — need to promote the new agents introduction, demanding trustable and insure operation of the energy generated by them.