under this programme capacity was auctioned to the best bidder in each of the technologies biomass minihydroelectric and wind power and this guaranteed the entrepreneur a longterm return to justify the investment although the programme initially had difficulties in attracting projects these were overcome and the targets set for installed capacity are now close to being attained in these auctions wind power enterprises have benefited from the shortage of gas in brazil which makes thermal plants uncompetitive and the fact that the auction reserves a quota for power plants that could come on stream within three years a period that is too short for the large hydroelectric plants