Energy as it is – Brazil
A pine tree tens of meters high near the street is dangerously leaning and tending to fall on the 13 kV power grid, putting passers-by and vehicles at risk.
500 meters from my house, in the south of São Paulo..
* The utility company said it wouldn’t take any action because the tree wasn’t touching the conductors.
* The City Hall has given a protocol number stating that it will comment on the matter within 120 days.
* Civil Defence said that in order to be called in to remove the tree, it needs to be sent the certificate of ownership of the land (which is abandoned!) and a report from a forestry engineer attesting to the need for removal.
This means that the (realistic) solution is to wait for the tree to fall!
There will then potentially be an interruption in the power supply for days until those “responsible” take the necessary measures.
This story reflects not only a real case that is about to happen, but also a list of trees that have already fallen under the same conditions described above. Year after year, history repeats itself.
The message is simple and clear. Our “regulatory framework for the electricity sector” favours remediation (and all the associated costs) over prevention.
