Companies agreed to the new guidelines established in a decree that allowed concession renewals to be brought forward
The presidential decree that allowed the renewal of concessions for 16 electricity distributors to be brought forward establishes a set of guidelines with strict rules that must be followed by companies to maintain ties with the Union.
The document stipulates the intensification of inspection of services by the (National Electric Energy Agency) and the opening of processes that could lead to the revocation of concessions in the event of recurring failures in distribution services. Read (PDF – 299 kB).
The tightening of standards for distributors was the condition for the government to move forward with contract renewals in 13 states, this Friday (May 8, 2026) by the president (PT) and by the Minister of Mines and Energy, (PSD).
During the contract signing event, the minister said that the decree includes strict quality improvement criteria, stipulates fines “very heavy” for concessionaires that fail to comply with guidelines and opens up the possibility of contracts expiring in extreme cases.
“Contracts [até então] were obsolete. If the distributor does not respect this, we may end up with contracts expiring. It’s in the decree, it’s written”declared Silveira.
The minister also asked Aneel to increase supervision: “You now have the tools to hold those who disrespect the Brazilian consumer accountable. You didn’t have them until now.”
NEW RULES
The new contracts establish stricter criteria for the provision of the service.
Read the new requirements:
- efficiency in supply continuity – will be measured by indicators that consider the frequency (FEC) and duration (DEC) of service interruptions.
- efficiency in economic-financial management – the concessionaire’s ability to honor its commitments in a sustainable manner;
- service recomposition goals – definition of efficiency targets for reestablishing supply after extreme weather events;
- network resilience – carry out actions to increase the resistance of networks in the face of climate events.
- rural service – improve service in rural areas, focusing on agribusiness and family farming;
- capital contribution – if the concessionaire does not meet the economic-financial efficiency criteria, it may be forced to make capital contributions to guarantee the sustainability of the concession;
- energy inclusion – actions to regularize the service in areas of socioeconomic vulnerability and reduce energy poverty;
- scanning – encouraging the gradual digitalization of networks and services, including smart meters;
- indicator advertising – obligation to disclose indicators of interruptions actually perceived by users;
- user satisfaction – calculation of service time indicators and public opinion surveys;
- communication channels – establishment of a dedicated channel to serve municipal, district and state public bodies.
