Storms have caused more than 750 power outages in Paraná in the last six weeks.

In just over a month, thousands of people in Paraná faced power outages caused by a series of storms that hit the state between September and November 2026. The storms, accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain, damaged the power grid and left entire cities with compromised supply.

A survey of the Canal SolarBased on figures from Copel (Companhia Paranaense de Energia) and information from Civil Defense, it is indicated that the sum of peak power outages in three major episodes exceeded 750 consumer units in the last six weeks.

The number takes into account the peak outage times for each event, not the number of different properties affected, since the same consumer may have experienced power outages more than once.

On September 22, storms caused a peak of 257,9 consumer units without electricity. According to Copel, the winds and rain damaged poles, cables, and high-voltage towers in different regions of the state.

A few days later, between October 3rd and 4th, a new wave of storms brought the number of properties without power to 325, the highest peak recorded among the episodes analyzed.

Last Monday (2), the month of November had barely begun and storms accompanied by hail and wind gusts of up to 90 km/h hit the distribution network again, mainly in the Northwest of Paraná.

The new incident affected more than 200 consumers throughout the day. According to a report released by Copel in the early evening, almost 110 units were still without power, despite the mobilization of more than 1.500 professionals to restore service.

Record rainfall and damage to the power grid.

These events are associated with the increased frequency and intensity of storms in Paraná, a scenario influenced by the El Niño phenomenon. According to Simepar (Paraná's Environmental Technology and Monitoring System), September was the rainiest month ever recorded at 14 meteorological stations in the state.

In Curitiba, for example, rainfall reached 339,4 millimeters, almost three times the historical average of 129,5 millimeters for the period. The impacts were also directly observed in the electrical infrastructure.

In September alone, Copel reported replacing 2.061 poles, six high-voltage towers, and 113 kilometers of cables damaged by storms. To reinforce the infrastructure, the company plans investments of R$ 17,8 billion between 2026 and 2030, of which R$ 13,4 billion will be allocated to energy distribution.

Expanding network resilience is gaining relevance at a time when consumers are also facing higher costs. In June of this year, the ANEEL The National Electric Energy Agency (ANAC) approved a tariff revision for Copel with an average effect of 20,51%.

Blackouts increase interest in batteries.

The recurrence of power outages also reinforces the discussion about alternatives capable of keeping essential equipment running when there are failures in the electrical grid. Among the solutions are photovoltaic systems combined with batteries, which allow energy to be stored for later use and, when configured for backup, to supply selected loads during blackouts.

This application can be especially relevant for rural properties, commercial establishments, and other activities that depend on a continuous supply of electricity. A survey by Descarbonize Soluções identified a 48% growth in searches for the term related to energy storage in Brazil over 12 months.

Meanwhile, searches for the term BESS increased by 120% during the analyzed period, between September 2025 and August 2026. In the state ranking of interest in BESS, Paraná appears in third position, behind Santa Catarina and the Federal District.

Unlike conventional grid-connected solar systems, which typically interrupt generation in the event of a blackout for safety reasons, hybrid solutions with batteries can maintain a portion of energy consumption during power outages.

However, autonomy depends on storage capacity, equipment power, and the unit's consumption profile. Given the forecast of above-average rainfall for November, according to Simepar, the need to reinforce the electrical infrastructure and reduce the impact of power outages should continue to be discussed in Paraná.

78% of consumers want to have solar energy with batteries to cope with blackouts.

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