“On that point we believe that [the cap] has to respond to a cost structure so that it is viable for the installation of electric power supply,” Sosa said, adding that he wants mining companies to pay their tariffs in advance in U.S. dollars, with an annual readjustment in that currency.

In the Alto Paraná area, according to Sosa, illegal connections by mining companies led to losses of $410,000 in July alone, bringing losses to $2.2 million for the first seven months of the year.

In some cases, mining companies were paying between 80 and 160 times less than the corresponding amount for their real energy consumption, according to ANDE.