Brazil energy authorities approve returning to daylight saving time as drought bites
Brazil's president would still need to back switch
Daylight saving time could alleviate power pressures
Bars, restaurants support move
Airlines would face schedule adjustments
Changes sourcing in paragraph 1, adds minister comments in paragraphs 8-9
By Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Leticia Fucuchima
RIO DE JANEIRO/SAO PAULO, Sept 19 (Reuters) -Brazilian energy authorities have approved bringing back daylight saving time, a senior official said on Thursday, to save energy as the country faces a major drought that has hit power generation.
Before it goes into effect, reinstating daylight savings time will need to be backed by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
A prolonged drought in Brazil has affected some of the country's largest hydroelectric plants, including two fed by an Amazonian river, forcing a shift to more energy imports and driving up power bills.
Despite the growth of wind and solar power in Latin America's largest economy, more than half its electricity still comes from harnessing the power of rivers and lakes.
Reservoir levels near major hydroelectric plants in key southeastern and center-west areas are expected to end September at below 50%, as the region's rainfall drops to less than half of normal levels.
By moving clocks forward an hour between November and February, daylight saving time would make use of more daylight hours and ease pressure on peak power consumption in the late afternoon when solar plants stop generating as the sun sets.
Former President Jair Bolsonaro abolished daylight savings in 2019, arguing it was no longer benefiting the power sector.
Mines and Energy Minister Alexandre Silveira told reporters on Thursday that national grid operator ONS recommended bringing back daylight savings time and an energy committee representing energy entities approved the potential move.
But the minister also expressed some doubts, saying he wanted to evaluate alternatives, even though earlier this week he appeared to signal his support for bringing back daylight savings time, describing it as "a very pressing reality."
Some sectors cheered the possible switch to the previous policy.
Bars and restaurants back the move, as local association Abrasel estimates the extra hour of daylight would help increase clients from 6-8 p.m. and boost monthly revenue by at least 10%.
Moving clocks forward by one hour, however, would complicate airline flight schedules while incurring additional costs to relocate crews.
Reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro and Leticia Fucuchima and Roberto Samora in Sao Paulo; Writing by Gabriel Araujo and Andre Romani; Editing by Marguerita Choy, David Alire Garcia and Sonali Paul
Berita Terkini
Penafian: Entiti XM Group menyediakan perkhidmatan pelaksanaan sahaja dan akses ke Kemudahan Dagangan Atas Talian, yang membolehkan sesorang melihat dan/atau menggunakan kandungan yang ada di dalam atau melalui laman web, tidak bertujuan untuk mengubah atau memperluas, juga tidak mengubah atau mengembangkannya. Akses dan penggunaan tersebut tertakluk kepada: (i) Terma dan Syarat; (ii) Amaran Risiko; dan Penafian Penuh. Oleh itu, kandungan sedemikian disediakan tidak lebih dari sekadar maklumat umum. Terutamanya, perlu diketahui bahawa kandungan Kemudahan Dagangan Atas Talian bukan permintaan, atau tawaran untuk melakukan transaksi dalam pasaran kewangan. Berdagang dalam mana-mana pasaran kewangan melibatkan tahap risiko yang besar terhadap modal anda.
Semua bahan yang diterbitkan di Kemudahan Dagangan Atas Talian kami bertujuan hanya untuk tujuan pendidikan/maklumat dan tidak mengandungi – dan tidak boleh dianggap mengandungi nasihat kewangan, cukai pelaburan atau dagangan dan cadangan, atau rekod harga dagangan kami, atau tawaran, atau permintaan untuk suatu transaksi dalam sebarang instrumen kewangan atau promosi kewangan yang tidak diminta kepada anda.
Sebarang kandungan pihak ketiga serta kandungan yang disediakan oleh XM, seperti pendapat, berita, penyelidikan, analisis, harga, maklumat lain atau pautan ke laman web pihak ketiga yang terdapat dalam laman web ini disediakan berdasarkan "seadanya" sebagai ulasan pasaran umum dan bukanlah nasihat pelaburan. Sesuai dengan apa-apa kandungan yang ditafsir sebagai penyelidikan pelaburan, anda mestilah ambil perhatian dan menerima bahawa kandungan tersebut tidak bertujuan dan tidak sediakan berdasarkan keperluan undang-undang yang direka untuk mempromosikan penyelidikan pelaburan bebas dan oleh itu, ia dianggap sebagai komunikasi pemasaran di bawah peraturan dan undang-undang yang berkaitan. SIla pastikan bahawa anda telah membaca dan memahami Notifikasi mengenai Penyelidikan Pelaburan Bukan Bebas dan Amaran Risiko mengenai maklumat di atas yang boleh diakses di sini.
