Brazilian consumers are set to endure high utility bills for at least another two years. In September, energy tariffs jumped 7 percent as hydropower reservoirs continue to dry up — forcing the government to switch on its more expensive and polluting thermal plants. The crisis came after Brazil’s driest summer in 91 years.
According to the ONS, the operators of the national power grid, São Paulo state’s biggest hydroelectric plant in Ilha Solteira can no longer be used to produce energy. While its reservoirs are not empty, the latest ONS report shows water levels below the minimum required for...