Status and prospects for the use of renewable sources of energy in Minas Gerais state, Brazil

There can be no development without electricity, and sustainable development is not possible without a sustainable source of energy. This presentation shows CEMIG's situation as the State Energy Company - its installed generating capacity, connected consumers, and market not served by conventional grid. According to its R&D guidelines, CEMIG has been evaluating the utilization of renewable energy sources, mainly solar, wind and biomass. The installed and in progress projects, especially the rural electrification programs, are herein presented. The first data obtained from experimental installations have shown that these technologies could stand as a real alternative for decentralized energy supply for rural communities located far from the distribution grid. The factors which facilitate the use of photovoltaic technology and the barriers to PV and wind applications in Minas Gerais are herein analyzed. Finally, the main difficulties related to the use of renewable energy and the challenge of the electric energy storage systems are presented.