Assessing decisions on multiple uses of water and hydroelectric facilities

Hydroelectric systems no longer stay aside from conflicts in the use of water and facilities. As water and good sites become scarce, negotiation on multiple uses of hydro resources and sharing of costs and gains is a need. This paper gives an overview of quantitative tools designed to facilitate settlement of contentions in Brazilian hydroelectric systems. Two case studies are discussed, addressing scheduling policies for different utilities operating on the same stream and the operation of hydroplants when a variety of other users step into the scene. A framework of multiple criteria optimization is adopted in both cases, with solution approaches and computation engines tailored for each problem.