Following the recent blackouts across eight states in the northeast of Brazil, the Minister of Mines and Energy, Edson Lobão, assured residents that a boost in the production of energy in the region will be sufficient to meet the demand of the local population. In addition to new hydroelectric projects, the minister said that the auctions for procurement of wind energy should be core to tackling the issue. "We are moving strongly into the wind energy production system," he told reporters during a press call intended to provide an explanation about the blackouts. Lobão confirmed that the Government will hold new auctions, specifically for wind – and that wind energy will be deployed across the region.