If proof were needed of wind power’s progress in Brazil, a good place to find it was at this month’s government energy auction, where wind energy showed why it is expected to become the fastest-growing share of the electricity matrix. Under Brazilian law, electric utilities must purchase future power in sufficient quantity to cover projected demand. They do so at auctions or on the “free” market, a type of spot market in which power suppliers sell energy to individual distributors, usually at prices higher than those offered at the auctions. Before energy auctions began in 2005, all energy except for nuclear power was bought and sold on the “free” market. In the auctions, developers offering future energy at prices below a government-set ceiling... [Log in to read more]