Cemig returns to responding to requests for solar energy plants

A Cemig (Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais) once again analyzed the DG projects (distributed generation) and the access opinions for projects solar energy.

The resumption of analyzes occurred amid a series of complaints from professionals and companies in the photovoltaic sector – who were having their project requests suspended by the concessionaire under the allegation of “network saturation”.

Over the past few weeks, the Cemig had been claiming a lack of flow capacity of energy in a large part of its substations and that, therefore, a series of orders would be suspended indefinitely. 

The decision generated disruptions in the solar energy sector, especially in the northern region of the state, with hundreds of companies fearing the closure of their businesses. Without the progress of their projects, most integrators started to lose customers and record large-scale losses, as reported by the Solar Channel in others recent reports.

The problem generated forced the Government of Minas Gerais to speak out and issue a statement about the subject. In the document, the State also claimed that Cemig did not have the capacity to flow energy in part of its substations.

The local government also highlighted that the guidance for integrators was to access the “Minigeneration Availability Map”, a tool created to show the areas of greatest and least network saturation in the State, while network structuring works did not occur in the most affected regions.

According to Bruno Catta Preta, director of institutional relations at Genyx and state coordinator of ABSOLAR, the news of the release of Cemig's opinions brings relief to the solar energy sector. 

According to him, it took two months of negotiations with the concessionaire and state public authorities to reach a solution. “This decision will positively impact the solar energy market and will help people who long for access to clean energy that is simple and cheap to install,” he pointed out. 

The Genyx and ABSOLAR executive also highlighted that the unlocking is an important step so that Minas Gerais can fight to regain national leadership in distributed solar generation, since the State recently lost its position to São Paulo. 

What does Cemig say?

O Solar Channel also contacted Cemig to understand what motivated the company to re-analyze DG projects, since the concessionaire had informed that there was network exhaustion. Check below, in full, what the company responded:

“Cemig clarifies that, due to restrictions diagnosed at some points of the transmission system (which includes lines and substations with voltage equal to or greater than 230 kV, owned by transmission companies) for receiving new energy generation units, following current regulations temporarily suspended the analysis of opinions in these regions while consulting authorities and entities in the electricity sector.

After technical discussions with them, it was decided that connection budget requests will be re-analyzed in cases where restrictions are resolved within the scope of the ONS Transmission Expansion and Reinforcement Plan (PAR). Those who have filed connection budget requests with suspended deadlines will be formally notified about the resumption of the analysis, in line with current regulations.

Cemig also clarifies that Distributed Generation (DG) of energy has undergone intense growth across the country since 2012, when Aneel's normative resolution on the topic came into force. Recently, in just three months, a number of DG projects equivalent to two Itaipu Plants were registered nationally.

In 2022, Cemig received more than 160 thousand requests for access to the network, a daily average of more than 444 requests. These orders mean more energy added to the system, which demands technical availability not only at Distribution facilities, but throughout the National Interconnected System (SNI).

To expand the system and improve the customers it serves, Cemig invested R$ 7.2 billion in its distribution network from 2018 to 2022. These investments allowed for the largest volume of connections from DG units in the country, both in number of installations and in power.

There are more than 2.5 GW connected, with the expectation of exceeding 6 GW by 2025. For the period 2023/2027, an additional R$ 18.4 billion will be invested in the distribution system. There is, therefore, integrated planning for the expansion of the energy distribution system.”