Brazil is making a concerted push to promote alternative energy, though in the early going the effort faces uncertainties, charges of unfairness and an apparent bureaucratic blunder. At issue is the 20-year Alternative Electric Energy Sources Incentives Program (Proinfa), which was created under a law enacted in April. The two-phase program sets up incentives for producers of windpower, biomass energy and small-scale hydropower (under 30 megawatts). In the first phase, from 2002 to 2006, the federal energy holding company Eletrobras will purchase a guaranteed 3,300 megawatts of electricity from alternative-power producers—1,100 megawatts each from the wind, biomass and small-hydro sectors. In phase two, from 2006 to 2022, Eletrobras will buy 15% of additional alternative-power production until alternative power... [Log in to read more]