Stepping Into the Office of the Secretary of Energy

Unlike many learning experiences, energy policy is a concept that can be both taught in class and in practice. As an environmental science major, I have a solid grasp on the importance of policies and treaties in forcing action and sector growth and the role of federal bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency. During my internship at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), I developed an in-depth understanding of the importance of state and local governmental bodies in the growth of the clean energy sector. MassCEC is a quasi-public agency that aims to accelerate the “success of clean energy technologies, companies and projects in Massachusetts” through investment. They receive their funding from the Renewable Energy Trust Fund, which was founded by Chapter 23J of the General Laws. Both electric ratepayers of MA utilities and municipal electric departments—who elected to participate in the program—pay this charge, with the average MA family contributing $0.32 per month. MA Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Matthew Beaton, also plays a large role in expanding “Massachusetts’ nation-leading clean energy and environment accomplishments.” Our exciting visit to the office of the Secretary of Energy for the State of São Paulo was a chance to observe specifically how the municipal government impacts the energy mix for a state and the tremendous success both the state and Brazil has had in implementing renewable energy into their matrix.

When we arrived to the office of the Secretary of Energy and Mining, João Carlos Meirelles, we were greeted by his staff and brought to a conference room containing folders with the São Paulo State Energy Plan and plaques of our name. This authentic experience began with the Secretary’s warm welcome and depiction of Brazil has a leader in renewable energy and goal to be entirely reliant on renewables in the next twenty-five years. Following this, Antonio Celso de Abreu Jr, Undersecretary of Renewable Energy, presented the goals, actions, scenery, incentives, potentials, and challenges facing the state in their aim to distribute renewables inside the entire state of São Paulo. While their goals deeply resemble those of the state of Massachusetts, São Paulo has managed to integrate renewable energy tremendously into their energy mix. While renewables make up 14.3 percent of the global energy matrix, it makes up 41.2 percent of Brazil’s and 58 percent of São Paulo’s, as of 2015. Furthermore, the state predicts to expand this to 70 percent by 2020.

Undersecretary Celso outlined Brazil’s leadership in various renewable areas, described the energy potentials, and briefly covered the projections for the state of São Paulo. As a leader in biomass and hydroelectricity, 27.6 percent of the state’s energy stems from biomass and 15.8 percent comes from hydroelectricity. According to the São Paulo State Energy Plan, these renewables are expected to increase to 46 percent and 18 percent, respectively, by 2020. It was explained that the largest energy potential for São Paulo stems in the conversion of sugarcane into biomass energy. While energy stemming from sugarcane byproducts will drastically increase, hydroelectricity is expected to remain somewhat constant. When asked about the role of global climate change and droughts in this decision, the Undersecretary explained that the Brazilian government has discouraged expanding hydroelectric production. Furthermore, despite the large potentials of solar energy, the sector is currently miniscule and only expected to increase to 5 percent by 2025.

While the Undersecretary and his colleagues covered other forms of renewables, such as energetic forests, wind and landfills, it was clear that growth would be smaller in these areas for the future. The challenges discussed were quite familiar, although the intermittency differed from that of my current research. In Brazil, wind intensity, solar energy, and sugarcane production is highest in the winter, while hydroelectricity is highest in the summer. Despite the difficulty of translation, I feel the office was excited to have this discussion and hear our tough questions. It was truly an educational experience and I will not forget this opportunity.

The Role of the Police in the Favela

Besides my superficial understanding of life in a slum or ghetto, City of God was my first real interaction with the concept of the favela. I watched the movie last year and remembered feeling horrified that it was based on a true story, the corruption of the police, and that human life was so undervalued. After learning about favelas in class and experiencing the cultural view of favelas, I rewatched the movie and picked up on so many things I had previously missed. For example, the code names that the gangsters used meant very little to me until we watched a brief documentary in class that used the exact same ones. I noticed the kites and fireworks and realized the deeper meaning they held to the slum. Furthermore, I temporarily forgot even where the movie took place, as the setting of the favela is hardly what comes to mind when you think of Rio de Janeiro. Yet, Erika Robb Larkins reports that Rio de Janeiro holds over 1000 favelas, displaying just how significant favelas are to the city. 

Larkins' article about El Dorado, a Rio de Janeiro favela in which she conducted her research, highlights the perceived violence between narco-traffickers and the police, as well as the corruption within the police. Surprisingly, the author points out that "absence of armed confrontations" between the two during police invasions, due to the tip off by informants within the police that give the gangsters time to hide (p 554). This phenomenon was present within the City of God, such as when none of the neighbors would denounce/give up the names of the three boys within the "Tender Trio" and they were able to hide for months. She even goes as far to call them a "staged affair," that is intensified by the media and describes it as "performance violence" (p 555). The media spectacle is referred to as a "hyper-favela," a concept which is also covered in City of God. In the movie, there is talk about how much the media loves pictures displaying the violence within the favela and how the police corruption is never covered. 

Despite the frequent police raids that come up either empty handed or with peanuts compared to the actual operation, the favela residents see right through to the corruption and to the instability of the state. Larkins refers to this as the "de-legitimization" of the state. Instead of increasing state control of the favelas, the authority of the state is undermined by their own role and this contributes to perception that the police do not protect the residents. This theme is also seen within the movie, where residents often steer clear of the police and the wrong person is often persecuted or murdered by the police. Furthermore, everybody knows that the gangsters pay off the police and that the head boss will never be arrested. However, the authorities prevent the media from portraying this image in the favela. It’s quite obvious that the movie was based off of a true story.   

The Evolution of One's Knowledge About Alternative Energy

Although this class is the first time I have taken a traditional course focused entirely on alternative energy, I have studied the topic extensively for years. Whether through my other courses - such as Sustainable Development or Environmental Engineering - or through my co-ops and internships - such as at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) or Greentown Labs. Through those experiences, my perception of clean energy evolved in ways I never could have foreseen. Prior to work experience, I had a very general understanding of the various technologies and understood them more by their limitations. I soon felt inspired by their potentials and what has been deemed as the "solar revolution." Since the beginning of my college career, Massachusetts has risen to the top of the nation for energy efficiency and clean energy and I have been fortunate enough to be a witness to it. 

At MassCEC, I experienced firsthand how the state plays a role in promoting clean energy technologies and companies and how the benefits were rapidly catching up to the drawbacks. During a short internship at a solar energy startup, it became apparent that a solar boom was taking the nation and that installed capacity in each year was greater than all of the growth in the years combined. In 2014, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that U.S. installed solar had grown by 418 percent since 2010. My job included researching, monitoring the news and writing articles about the U.S. solar industry, further developing my knowledge of utilities and the role of the market in industry. My latest co-op at Greentown Labs, an incubator that holds more than 50 clean energy startups, provided me a glimpse of the future. Through observation of the interaction between engineers and entrepreneurs and large corporations interested in adopting their technology or product, I understood that there is a significant push for companies to invest in cleaner, more innovative technologies. While I had spent the past three years studying and feeling discouraged about the state of the world and global climate change, I began to see a brighter future that I had to be a part of. 

In a sense, coming on this dialogue was a way for me to legitimize my past experience, as I understand the value of backing up arguments with numbers, facts and science. In addition to the wonderful opportunity of experiencing Brazil, I wanted to build upon my past knowledge, determine if engineering was a path I should pursue, and develop methods for making the topic of issue less abstract and more tangible for the everyday person. I believe this course is helping me meet all three of those goals, especially when it comes to Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air (which was actually recommended to me by an entrepreneur at Greentown Labs). The book uses metaphors and figures to enable a larger audience to grasp an understanding of the various complicated topics. However, at times I felt as if I am learning more about the United Kingdom, than the U.S.. Furthermore, the author often paints a somewhat bleak future through raising difficult questions, such as when he calculates a deficiency of 127 kWh/day/person between renewables and the average current consumption for a British citizen. He does, however, promise to pursue alternative solutions beyond renewables to sustain the UK's current lifestyle. 

For obvious reasons, I feel the alternative energy excursions have immensely broadened my knowledge of various forms of alternative energy, such as at the ethanol or hydropower plants. However, it's clear that the course complimented these trips. For example, I knew about the loss of efficiency during energy conversions, but I had no idea about the "most efficient paths." In class, we covered the loss of energy during the conversion of mechanical to electrical energy. At the hydropower plant, the tour guide specifically described this and worked through the mechanics of the entire system, allowing the teachings to better stick in my mind. This type of learning is truly unique and certainly valuable for a student who will continue to pursue the energy field. In conclusion, I assume its safe to say that this course provides me with more intimate details about energy cleantech, thus broadening my knowledge from a physics or engineering perspective. I look forward to the remaining activities and classes. 

Breaking Down What It Means to Be Brazilian

The "cordial man" is considered to be essential to understanding Brazilian culture and what it means to be Brazilian. In the Roots of Brazil, Sérgio Buarque de Holanda has been attributed to the popularization of this concept. The author describes the cordial man as someone who removes all restraints or "protective mechanisms" in exchange for "proximity of bodies and souls" (pg 11). According to the latin dictionary, "cordial" means "of the heart," which can lead to the conclusion that the “cordial man” is someone who is guided by their heart. While they love and often project the feeling of intimacy and friendship, feelings of hostility also stem from the heart – there are two sides to the coin. Taking this concept further, one could say that instead of being ruled by reason, Brazilians are led more by the heart. When discussing this concept with a Brazilian, they made the simple comparison of how they act as a driver. They would politely give another driver the right of way if they act cordially, but if they disrespectfully forced their way in front, this individual claimed their gut reaction might be to act violently or irrationally.

Rather early on into this trip, I personally experienced this emotional side of Brazilians. Brazilians appeal to your emotions through the innate craft of creating intimacy and social pressure. Our Brazilian caretakers – Tiago and Vanessa – immediately warmed up to us. Their contagious smiles and warm touch make it impossible to dislike them or not unload your problems onto them. Furthermore, it is difficult for them to shed their politeness, although their concern or enjoyment can so easily be read on their faces. Tiago and Vanessa were the first evidence of the “cordial man” concept. My first interactions with either of them led me to learn enormous amounts of details about their personal life, goals and hobbies. They seemingly thrive in the roles as leaders of a foreign group – overwhelmed in this strange and new culture – and obviously feel very comfortable in social situations. As members of an individualistic culture, Americans at time need breaks from the constant social interaction. However, this is quiet difficult as we are together at every minute of our day, whether in class or on our frequent excursions

One example of this cultural manifestation was when dancing Samba at a local club was deemed an optional activity. Many of us were exhausted from the constant interaction and knew this would not be our last chance to try Samba. A few of us opted to explore other parts of São Paulo instead and waited to delicately break it to our Brazilian leaders. When we conveyed this to Tiago and his wife, they were unable to hide the disappointment and lack of approval from their faces. They teasingly pointed out that we would be missing out and put on a show of fake anger. Despite their humor, it became clear that they took it personally. Moreover, I noticed that Brazilians are sensitive to how foreigners perceive their country and culture. To me, this was a manifestation of the “cordial man,” where Brazilians are eager for us to experience every aspect of their culture and love it as much as they do.  Despite their frequent interactions with the typical, private American, they cannot shed their Brazilian skin.

The Smell of Ethanol Production

After a long bus ride to Brotas, our bus hit a bump and I awoke to see a huge factory surrounded by fields of sugarcane – in my dreamlike state, I immediately drew a comparison to Wizard of Oz. Coming into this alternative energy field trip, I had never seen an ethanol plant and thus had no expectations. Upon arrival to Tonon Bioenergy, we were taken to a room to meet the heads of the various departments– including agriculture and industrial – and to determine the involved processes and sequential steps. There we also learned that Tonon is producing 300,000 liters (L) of ethanol per day and 1200 megawatts hours (MWh) of energy per day. While the plant utilizes 400 MWh of this energy, the excess is sold and the plant has the ability to produce 150,000 L/day more at full capacity. Surprisingly, the plant produced other byproducts beyond ethanol, including biogas and raw sugar. Likely, their exportation of raw sugar to Europe and Asia is a large source of income for the company.

While ethanol production begins with agriculture, we first explored the power plant. The industrial head at Tonon Bioenergy compared the ethanol production process to a winery – something I could wrap my mind around. Despite the smell common to wineries, they reuse the yeast for other fermentation processes and for the purpose of energy production. The ethanol plant had all the characteristics of a factory – the strange smells, loud noise pollution, protective gear, large stacks emitting emissions into the air. This plant broke up its procedures into the following: sugarcane preparation and reception, extraction of the “juice” fro the sugarcane, sugar mill, ethanol distillery, bagging and storage, and electricity generation. The first industrial step in the extraction of the ethanol, removes 70 percent of the “juice”, whereas four more steps and many liters of water are required to get the remaining 30 percent. During this extraction, biogas is produced and turned into steam for electricity generation. The steam from burning unusable parts of the sugarcane in the boilers is used for powering sugar extraction. After this, the juice is sterilized and transported to fermentation tanks, where yeast converts the sugar to make a “wine” that is then taken to distillery towers to remove the ethanol.

Eventually, we left the factory and drove to the sugarcane fields, where the setting dramatically changed, although you could still distinctly see the smoke stacks on top of the hill chugging away. The typical agricultural procedures are required to produce the crop, such as good quality soil, planting, fertilization, harvesting and maintaining the land. While watching the machines cut the sugarcane, straw flew in every direction, eventually settling back on the ground. Since 10 percent of the sugarcane is straw, the plant litter is either burned in the boiler or used to re-fertilize the land. Tonon was notified ahead of time that an environmental science major would be in the group and was eager to answer any questions I might have. Upon speaking with the head of the environmental processes at Tonon, I learned that they let fields regrow for at least five years and sometimes up to 10 years, in order to preserve the viability of the land. Furthermore, they have carbon emission standards they are required to meet and have procedures in place to prevent or address fires. Still, I couldn’t help but notice the clear environmental impacts stemming from the overall process in ethanol production and question how “clean” it was in comparison to wind or solar energy.  

By our third field trip to Tonon Bioenergy, I could easily draw two clear themes from these visits: the role of language (or cultural) barriers and the integrated use of old and new processes in Brazil’s industry. While at CPFL the tour guides struggled at times to explain complex topics in a foreign language, we had translators for our guides at the hydroelectric plant and Tonon. In the latter cases, words were often loss in translation, resulting in the oversimplification of processes by the translator. Additionally, the solar plant at CPFL contained a mix of first generation solar technology and more modern technology. Both the hydroelectric plant and ethanol plant combined manual labor and machinery to produce energy. Although they are in the process of transitioning from manually to mechanically, they are not 100 percent there. These themes have greater implications for the breakdown of Brazil’s energy mix and possibly its industrial sector as a whole. In addition to the abundant resources in Brazil – having high energy potentials in wind, solar and hydropower – the developing country is still experiencing globalization and modernization.