Brazil senate discussing bill to boost renewables

Brazil's upper house is analyzing a bill to make it mandatory to install electric power generating equipment based on renewable sources in public and publicly financed buildings, federal news service agency Agência Senado reported.

The bill is sponsored by senator Telmário Mota, of Roraima state's PTB party, who claims the public sector must set the example in efforts to reduce the environmental impact of human activity.

The bill considers as renewable energy power produced by small hydroelectric, wind, solar, tidal and biomass plants. Among the buildings that would be required to use such energy are homes built under the Minha Casa Minha Vida program.

The bill will be discussed by the house's infrastructure services committee on Tuesday.