Sectors such as infrastructure and energy are being forced to adapt to the impacts of climate change. In Brazil, the transmission grid is one of the pillars of the electrical system, essential to guarantee stability and security in the energy supply. However, this segment is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events.
According to a study by EPE (Energy Research Company), four of the 116 causes of transmission line shutdowns are related to the climate, representing 43% of the failures recorded between 2014 and 2023.
Brazil currently has 188 km of transmission lines. The Southeast/Central-West subsystem accounts for around 45% of this network, which grew by 88% between 2010 and 2024.
Despite the progress, the system remains exposed to climate risks – as demonstrated by serious incidents in the last decade:
2009: Storm causes short circuit between Itaberá (SP) and Ivaiporã (PR), affecting 18 states, DF and Paraguay – 45% of national consumption was interrupted.
2013: Fire in Piauí causes failure in two 500 kV lines, leaving nine states in the Northeast without power (10.900 MW outage).
2014: Electrical discharge in Tocantins interrupts supply to 6 million consumers in 11 states (6.787 MW).
2016: Gales brought down eight towers in SP, disconnecting lines of the SIN Basic Network.
2021: Water crisis in the Southeast requires greater transfer of energy from the North and Northeast, overloading the system. Fires cause 886 outages – a record since 2014.
2023: Historic drought on the Madeira River deactivates the Santo Antônio plant and compromises the strategic line between the North and Southeast.
2024: Heavy rains in the South flood substations and bring down towers.
2025: Storm in Pará knocked down five towers connected to the Belo Monte power plant.
Growing climate risks
The predominance of overhead lines and substations exposes the system to climate change. According to EPE, the main risks include:
- Increased temperature, which can overload the network
- Prolonged drought, increasing the risk of fires
- Wind gusts, which damage structures
- Extreme rainfall, with flooding of substations
- Rising sea levels, which cause corrosion of coastal structures
Furthermore, factors such as the territorial extension of the network, low redundancy, aging infrastructure and access difficulties increase vulnerability.
Challenges and paths to adaptation
For EPE, climate events impose the need to modernize the transmission infrastructure – which requires significant investments in monitoring technologies, reinforcement of the grid and creation of redundancies.
Among the recommended measures, the following stand out:
- Encourage technological innovation and more resilient networks
- Expand energy storage systems
- Improve monitoring and forecasting of extreme events
- Promote regulatory frameworks that encourage adaptation
- Reassess reliability criteria and location of new lines
- Map critical infrastructure and review emergency plans
These proposals are detailed in the study “Transmission and Climate Change”, part of EPE’s series of analyses on the impacts of climate on the electricity sector. The publication is part of the second phase of the Roadmap for Strengthening the Resilience of the Electricity Sector – short-term action (CP17) of the Hydroelectric Power Plant Regulation Reservoir Recovery Plan (PRR). Click here to access the full document.
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