EN 
PT_BR 
Due to the blackout that has hit Amapá for 17 days, the State Court ordered, this Thursday (19), the removal of the board of directors of ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency) and the directors of ONS (National Electric Energy Operator) for a period of 30 days.
The measure aims to prevent managers from interfering in determining responsibilities for the lack of energy in Amapá.
“The bodies that oversee the electricity sector were aware of the condition of the equipment and the risks of a blackout in the State, so much so that documents from the MME (Ministry of Mines and Energy), the ONS and ANEEL indicate that the affected substation, the Macapá substation, it had been operating at capacity for around two years”, said Federal Judge João Bosco Costa.
“It goes on to argue that in the 2008 auction notice, ANEEL had already warned of the need for space for four transformers, three for immediate installation, which were part of that auction. Furthermore, facts reported by the national press show that only two transformers were in operation at the Macapá substation”, he added.
According to Costa, the ONS, even though it was aware of the problems and the uselessness of one of the transformers, continued to authorize the normal operation of the company Gemini, imposing on its directors, as well as the directors of ANEEL, responsibility for the numerous problems that the people of Amapá have been suffering due to the blackout.
“We consider the failure of these bodies to monitor the LTME to be serious, failing to take the necessary measures to avoid the damage identified,” said the judge.
In a statement, ANEEL said that it respects the Court's decision, “but actions like this end up generating noise and harming work at a time when all efforts should be focused on fully restoring energy supply in Amapá”.
Still in a note, the agency stated that “so far it has not been formally notified of the Federal Court's decision regarding the temporary removal of its board. However, it informs that, as soon as it is notified, it will file the appropriate appeal to reverse the decision.”
For Pedro Dante, a specialist lawyer in the Energy area at Demarest, the Judiciary has no power to interfere in these matters. “The removal of ANEEL and ONS directors could further harm the situation. We are experiencing unprecedented technical issues. They cannot interfere in specific areas, such as the energy sector, which is completely strategic and complex”, he highlighted.
