Brazilian Thermal Power Plant Postponed
Brazilian Thermal Power Plant Postponed
After reading a newspaper interview with professsor Gilberto De Martino Januzzi, a local lamp manufacturer donated 400 electronically ballasted, circular fluorescent tubes to a pilot program in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. In the interview, professor Januzzi argued in favour of using more energy-efficient technologies instead of building a 700-MW thermal power plant in the state.
Public opinion and the local media already vigorously opposed to the power plant, according to professor Januzzi, became even more opposed to it after the lighting program. Finally, the State Governor decided to suspend the Japanese ExlmBank-financed 1.5 billion-dollar project and all other projects connected with the power plant. For the first time, the Governor also publically declared that investments in energy-efficiency should have priority over investments to increase power supply capacity.
Says professor Januzzi: "Although the lighting project itself does not replace a 700MW plant, it educated the public regarding existing alternatives on the demand side." And he adds a warning: "This is an election year. My pledge to the Governor to put money into efficiency projects has not yet recieved an answer."