Brazil is expected to attract a significant volume of investment in data centers in the coming years, driving a new wave of growth in electricity demand in the country.
According to the ONS (National Electric System Operator), there are already 22 requests for access to the Basic Network with signed contracts, of which 18 have been authorized for connection.
The expectation is for a significant increase in the load associated with these projects, which should jump from an average of 304 MW in 2026 to an average of 3.457 MW in 2030 – a growth of more than 11 times in just four years.
The projects are distributed across different regions of the country, with a presence in the Southeast/Central-West, Northeast, and South subsystems, reflecting the growing interest in locations with available electrical infrastructure and transmission capacity.
The data is included in the 1st Quarterly Review of Load Forecasts for the Annual Energy Operation Planning 2026–2030, released this week. The report is jointly prepared by the Chamber of Electric Energy Commercialization (CCEE), the National System Operator (ONS), and the Energy Research Company (EPE).
In practice, data centers are facilities dedicated to the processing, storage, and distribution of large volumes of data.
This type of infrastructure, the foundation for digital services such as cloud computing, streaming, and artificial intelligence, requires high availability and reliability, operating continuously, 24 hours a day, which explains its intensive consumption of electricity.
Brazil positions itself as an attractive destination for this type of investment because it has a predominantly renewable energy matrix, with a strong share of hydroelectric, wind, and solar power; competitive energy costs, especially in the free market; and a large-scale electricity grid with the capacity for expansion and regional integration.
Energy demand is expected to grow by 4% by 2030.
Projections for the total energy load in Brazil – which considers consumption plus electrical losses – indicate an average annual growth of 4% until 2030, reaching an average of 98.824 MW. Compared to the previous projection, there was an average reduction of 283 MW in the annual estimates, representing a decrease of 0,3%.
For 2026, the expectation is for a 3,1% increase in global load, which should reach an average of 83.826 MW by the end of the year, about 29 MW below the previous forecast. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth projection for the period was also revised, from 2,1% to 2,0%, a reduction of 0,1 percentage point.
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An answer
I think it's crazy to meet such global demand. The cost-benefit to Brazil is NOTHING. It doesn't generate jobs and in 30 years we'll have water problems.