New Neoenergia rule that would increase costs for small producers is suspended

ABS (Bahia Solar Energy Association), APER (Potiguar Renewable Energy Association) and APERENOVÁVEIS (Pernambuco Renewable Energy Association) postponed for three months the application of new technical requirements from Neoenergia – the company that controls the distributors Coelba, Cosern and Neoenergia Pernambuco – which would directly impact distributed mini-generation systems with power between 75 kW and 300 kW.

The DIS-NOR-033 – REV 03 standard, which came into force on January 1, 2025, provided for technical requirements, such as additional protections and transformers with specific characteristics, which could increase the costs of connecting to the electricity grid for small and medium investors in distributed generation.

Technical opinion DIS-PTC-077 – REV 01, published on June 18, officially suspended some of these requirements until September 30, 2025, allowing associations to present more accessible alternatives, supported by independent technical analysis.

To support their contributions with impartiality and technical rigor, the three associations hired UFPI (Federal University of Piauí), a public institution with no ties to the business sector or the distributor, to conduct a detailed study on the real need for the required protections.

"The work carried out by ABS is tireless and aims to strengthen the vision of our members regarding the dealership," said Armando Karin, technical director of ABS.

"We want to be a voice, especially for micro and small business owners who we know don't have much recourse when the dealership doesn't serve them within the legal framework," he said. 

The technical dispute revolves primarily around requirements for anti-islanding protection and restrictions on the use of fuses and disconnectors in medium-voltage systems. These requirements were included in the new revision of the standard and, according to the associations, would imply disproportionate investments for small producers, discouraging the advancement of decentralized generation.

For Fabrício Costa, Southwest Regional Director of ABS and member of the technical committee monitoring the UFPI study, choosing the public university to conduct the analysis was crucial to ensuring credibility for the review proposals.

 "The strategy of hiring an independent entity to conduct the studies is perfect. We want something that is fair and technically compatible. We know that the medium-voltage protection suggested by Neoenergia for systems between 75 kW and 300 kW will be very expensive for micro, small, and medium-sized consumers who want to generate their own energy. But before that, we want to ensure that these protections are truly necessary," he emphasized.

According to the Neoenergia document, the suspension is valid exclusively for distributors Coelba, Cosern and Neoenergia Pernambuco, and covers both connection requests made since the beginning of the year and those filed until the end of the suspension period. 

The measure is also in line with the analysis of suggestions forwarded by associations via ANER (National Association of Renewable Energy Representative Entities).

The associations' expectation is that the UFPI technical study can support a more rational proposal that preserves the safety and stability of the electrical system, without making small and medium-sized projects economically unviable.

Behind the scenes, industry leaders emphasize that this achievement reinforces the importance of qualified institutional coordination, with a solid technical and legal basis, in a scenario where the energy transition is advancing but still encounters regulatory obstacles.

The UFPI study should be completed in the coming weeks and forwarded to Neoenergia Group's distributors for review. Until then, developers can continue submitting their projects without having to meet the suspended requirements.

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