SAO PAULO - The Brazilian government has decided against returning to daylight saving time this summer, a senior official said on Wednesday, who noted that the country does not face any expected risks to its power sector.

       Energy and Mining Minister Alexandre Silveira added that officials will assess a possible return to daylight saving time for next year sometime after the Southern Hemisphere summer.

       In September, all necessary government approvals to potentially bring back daylight saving time had been granted, as well as a recommendation to do so from national grid operator ONS, amid a major drought that crimped power generation.

       Silveira told reporters that efforts to bolster hydroelectric reservoirs, the source of more than half of the country electricity, have been enough to eliminate risks to the power supply.

       In 2019, former President Jair Bolsonaro abolished daylight savings time, arguing it was no longer benefiting the power sector. REUTERS