Alana Gandra
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Rio - The Energy Research Corporation (Empresa de Pesquisa Energética) (EPE), which is housed in the Ministry of Mines and Energy, has begun work on a new inventory of the country's hydroelectric potential. The last such survey was in 1960. The EPE is expected to provide a much clearer and exact situation report.

The president of the EPE, Maurício Tolmasquim, says there are estimates that Brazil has used only 25% of its available hydroelectric potential. He adds that the new survey will also take into consideration, besides economic efficiency factors, the issue of socio-environmental impact.

The EPE has already begun contracting private engineering firms to start surveying in the Amazon region.

Translation: Allen Bennett