Electric energy consumption to grow up to 5.2% next year
DCI 12/28/2007
The forecast of the Empresa de Pesquisa Energética - EPE (Energy Research Company) is that the consumption of electric energy in Brazil is to reach the end of the year at around 376.5 TWh (terawatts hour) or 376.5 thousand megawatts, an increase between 5.2% and 5.4% in relation to the consumption of 2006. For 2008, the EPE believes that the national consumption may reach 396 TWh, an increase of 5.2% in relation to 2007. The consumption of electric energy in the country went 6.7% up in November, in comparison with the same month of the previous year, and reached 32.687 GWh (gigawatts hour). According to the EPE, the increase in November brought the variation accumulated in 12 months up to 5.3%. Since January, the accumulated growth is 5.4% in relation to the first 11 months of last year. The main growth highlight in 2007 is the commercial sector, which grew 7.8% in comparison with November/2006 and accumulates a 6.8%-increase from January to November. In the industry, the consumption of electric energy went 5.8% up in November and accumulates an increase of 4.9%. Last month the industry consumed 14,939 GWh, with 150,836 GWh since January. The residential sector took advantage of the addition of almost 1.8 million new users to the system in November. Residential consumption increased 5.6% in November, to 7,854 GWh.