VZCZCXRO1753
RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHBR #2044 3020939
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 290939Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0264
INFO RUEHSO/AMCONSUL SAO PAULO 1030
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 5299
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 7252
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BRASILIA 002044 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/BSC, WHA/EPSC, OES/PCI SPECHT AND OES/FO HILL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ENRG EPET SENV SOCI TRGY KPAO KGHG BR
SUBJECT: BRAZIL:  INTERESTED IN THE WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL 
RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE (WIREC 2008) 
 
REF: A) STATE 138428, B) STATE 80344, C) E-MAILS SPECHT-DRISCOLL 
 
10/25/2007 
 
¶1.  (U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED AND NOT FOR 
INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Drawing on REFS, ESTH Counselor Driscoll had a series of 
conversations in mid- and late-October with Brazilian Ministry of 
Exterior Relations (MRE) Chief of the Division of Division for New 
and Renewable Energy Resources, Counselor Claudia Vieira Santos, 
about the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference 
(WIREC), which will take place in March 2008. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Santos showed substantial interest in the topic.  She 
noted that Brazil had attended the two predecessors to WIREC, in 
Bonn and Beijing.  At the last such conference in Beijing, the 
Minister of Mines and Energy led the Brazilian delegation.  For 
WIREC, she indicated it probably would again be the Minister of 
Mines and Energy.  Currently, that position is being held by Acting 
Minister Nelson Jose Hubner Moreira. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The MRE will be organizing the Brazilian delegation to 
WIREC.  Santos raised two particular concerns:  (1) whether climate 
change would be on the agenda of WIREC; and (2) whether there would 
be a repeat of the dispute at a prior such conference over whether 
hydropower constituted a renewable energy source.  For Brazil, 
hydropower is a major source of electric power generation and they 
believe it needs to be viewed as an acceptable, clean, renewable 
energy source.  Per REF C, ESTH Counselor responded to Santos that 
climate change was not included in the agenda, though the question 
may come up in the conference.  Also, he said that the USG was not 
going to challenge hydropower at WIREC, which was important since 
the USG is the host.  Santos said she would inform the Embassy when 
she had more details on the composition of the Brazilian 
delegation. 
 
¶5.  (U) The name and mailing address for the Acting Minister of 
Mines and Energy are as follows: 
 
Acting Minister Nelson Jose Hubner Moreira 
Ministry of Mines and Energy 
Esplanada dos Ministerios, Bloco "U" 
CEP: 70.065-900  Brasilia - DF 
BRAZIL 
 
SOBEL