The federal government published Decree No. 12.772, of December 5, 2025, which establishes the PNAST (National Policy for Access to the Transmission System) and promotes a structural change in the way agents in the electricity sector connect to the basic network of the SIN (National Interconnected System).
Under the rule in effect until then, it is up to the ONS (National Electric System Operator) to analyze connection requests according to the order of registration and upon payment of financial guarantees by the interested parties.
In practice, the new rule establishes that permanent access to transmission and increases in the contracted amount will no longer occur solely by administrative order, but will be largely determined by competitive processes carried out in periodic windows, called Access Seasons.
The decree applies to all users who intend to access the transmission network on a permanent basis or expand their contracted use, with the exception of... energy distributors.
Among the guidelines of the new policy are the promotion of the energy transition, the rational use of network capacity, transparency in the contracting process, and the efficient allocation of users to connection points, with a focus also on affordable tariffs.
Affordable pricing
Access Seasons become the central instrument for organizing the entry of new projects into the transmission market. During these windows, interested parties formally register their requests with the National Electric System Operator, which will conduct a joint and coordinated analysis of the applications.
Whenever the sum of requests exceeds the available capacity at a given point in the network, a competitive process, similar to an access auction, will be mandatory.
Another relevant point is that the revenue obtained from these competitive processes must be reinvested in tariff moderation, according to guidelines from the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and regulations. ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency).
Furthermore, the decree opens the possibility of auctions for contracting future capacity, including those conditional on new investments in network expansion, which reinforces the integration between access, planning, and system expansion.
Increased planning
The new policy also strengthens the role of planning. The decree stipulates that the results of the Access Seasons may serve as direct input for decisions by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) regarding new transmission auctions.
EPE (Energy Research Company), in turn, will have access to information from the agents and will be required to hold annual public calls to map generation potential, large consumers, industrial hubs, ports, and infrastructure projects that impact energy demand and supply over the next ten years.
According to the schedule, the text establishes that the first Access Season must occur within ten months of the publication of the decree. From the following year onwards, at least two seasons must be held per year, with the calendar being published by the ONS (National System Operator) at least 90 days in advance.
The regulation also defines transition rules for applications already filed before the new model came into effect, setting deadlines, requirements for financial guarantees, and prohibiting priorities over future margins.
Ordering
The change presented by the government formalizes a transformation that had already been discussed behind the scenes, involving the growing scarcity of connection points and the competition for transmission capacity, especially in light of the accelerated expansion of renewable energy sources.
By introducing direct competition for transmission use, the government seeks to prevent inefficient network occupation and align access with long-term planning.
Access to broadcasting ceases to be merely a technical-administrative procedure and definitively takes on a competitive and economic dimension.
The device also became necessary due to the competition between states to attract large energy-intensive projects, such as green hydrogen, data centers, and new industrial complexes, all heavily dependent on guaranteed firm connections to the National Interconnected System (SIN).
The way in which the first access auctions will be structured and regulated by Aneel should define the degree of predictability, legal certainty, and attractiveness of this new model for investors in large-scale generation and consumption.
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