Enel fines Enel 165 million Brazilian reais over power outages in São Paulo | Economy

The National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) imposed a fine of R$ 165.8 million on the distributor Enel on Thursday (15) due to a power outage in São Paulo, in November 2023.

Aneel's technical area concluded that Enel failed to restore power supplies after a power outage due to heavy rains in São Paulo, on 3 November.

At that time, about 2.1 million properties were without power after the storms that hit the state.

The power outage led to criticism of the performance of Enel, one of the franchise companies and distributor in the state for the largest number of consumers suffering from power outages. Enel serves 8.2 million consumers in the capital and in 38 other municipalities.

Enel has 10 days to appeal the fine, starting Thursday (15). Payment must be made within 20 days.

In November, Sandoval Fetosa, Anel's general manager, said the agency would investigate seven distributors in the state.

In addition to Enel, there are six other distributors operating in the state whose networks have been affected: CPFL Santa Cruz, CPFL Paulista, CPFL Piratininga, Elektro, Energisa Sul-Sudeste and EDP.

Anel stated in a statement that it “has taken several measures to improve the provision of distribution services in the face of severe, ongoing and increasing weather events.”

Enel was already fined the same amount last week, R$165.8 million, for “providing insufficient service” over the past two years.

In this letter, Nunes also asked the court not to propose renewal of the concession and, in the event that Enel's responsibility for the successive problems in the capital is confirmed, to demand termination of the contract.