Cuts in renewable energy generation increased in 2026, reflecting the operational and structural challenges faced by the Brazilian electricity system in the face of the accelerated expansion of solar and wind power.
Data from ONS (National Electric System Operator) shows that, between January 1st and April 30th of this year, the average volume of generation cut reached 2.843 MW, equivalent to 17,2% of the potential generation of the affected plants.
In the same period of 2025, cuts in solar and wind energy had totaled an average of 2.436 MW, corresponding to 15,3% of potential generation.
The increase demonstrates a worsening of curtailment in the system, mainly in regions with a high concentration of renewable generation. The scenario is considered more serious due to the greater number of power plants in operation this year.
Throughout 2025, Brazil wasted 20,6% of all available solar and wind energy, according to a survey by Volt Robotics. This loss represented approximately R$ 6 billion.
Volt Robotics calculates losses of R$6 billion with curtailment in 2025
Energy ratio leads cuts in 2026
Power outages are classified by the ONS (National System Operator) into three categories: electrical reliability, external unavailability, and energy efficiency.
In 2026, the main cause of the restrictions was energy-related, a situation in which the system load cannot absorb all the energy available for dispatch. This category accounted for an average of 1.772 MW of cuts in the first four months of the year.
Meanwhile, power cuts due to electrical reliability, related to the need to preserve the operational safety of the system, totaled an average of 651 MW.
Restrictions caused by external unavailability, typically associated with a lack of transmission capacity to carry the generated energy, accounted for an average of 420 MW.
This scenario represents a significant change compared to 2025. In the first four months of last year, external unavailability led the cuts, with an average of 1.150 MW.
During that period, power outages due to reliability totaled an average of 591 MW, while restrictions due to energy consumption reached an average of 695 MW.
Wind farms continue to be the most impacted.
When broken down by energy source, wind farms continue to register the largest volumes of curtailment. Between January and April 2026, wind farms experienced average cuts of 1.806 MW, while solar plants registered an average reduction of 1.037 MW.
In the same period of 2025, cuts in wind power generation averaged 1.592 MW, compared to an average of 844 MW from solar power. The Northeast remains the main region affected by generation cuts in the country. Between January and April of this year, the region accounted for an average of 2.233 MW of curtailment.
Power cuts were also recorded in the Southeast, with an average of 476 MW, in addition to smaller volumes in the North, with an average of 17 MW, and in the South, with an average of 13 MW. Among the most impacted states are Ceará, Bahia, Piauí, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Minas Gerais, Goiás, and São Paulo.
The increase in cuts comes amid rapid growth in installed renewable capacity in Brazil and challenges to expanding transmission infrastructure.
Furthermore, the combination of high solar generation during the day, advances in distributed generation, and reduced load at certain times has increased the occurrence of energy surpluses in the system.
Meanwhile, generators are awaiting a decision on compensation for generation cuts imposed by the system operator. This issue has become a major point of contention between industry stakeholders, the government, and regulators.
The discussions mainly involve cuts classified as constrained-off, when power plants are forced to reduce generation due to operational limitations of the electrical system, transmission restrictions, or energy reasons beyond the control of the operators.
Currently, stakeholders are advocating for the creation of financial compensation mechanisms to mitigate the impacts on project revenue, especially in ventures financed based on generation projections that end up being compromised by operational restrictions.
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