The MMGD (Micro and Mini Distributed Generation) segment received with optimism the recent statements by the general director of ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency), Sandoval Feitosa, signaling that emergency plans to deal with curtailment in the SIN (National Interconnected System) should not affect small generations.
Carlos Evangelista, executive president of ABGD (Brazilian Association of Distributed Generation) considered the recognition that microgeneration should not be subject to impact measures to be positive.
The vice president of ABSOLAR (Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy), Bárbara Rubim, likewise, also reinforced the position, understanding that there are other measures to be taken to guarantee the security of the system.
In a recent interview, the general director of ANEEL said that it is very difficult and perhaps unnecessary to extend the cut measures to an individualized level that includes the more than 3,7 million MMGD systems installed in the country.
The Agency's priority, according to him, is to preserve the legal security and trust of the more than 20 million Brazilians who invested R$170 billion to generate their own energy.
Feitosa explained, in an interview with Agência Infra, that the trend towards solutions for the curtailment will focus on the modulation of larger plants, connected to the distribution grid, which are not directly operated by the ONS (National Electric System Operator).
He stated that the ANEEL should first address the large blocks, which are the ones that truly matter in this environment of maintaining the system's integrity. This universe of plants, according to industry sources, represents around 20 GW.
The emergency plan, agreed in a meeting between ANEEL, ONS and distributors, specifically targets the control of Type III plants, which include larger small solar plants, biomass thermal plants, PCHs (Small Hydroelectric Plants) and CGHs (Hydroelectric Generating Plants).
The Operator will signal to the distributor the generation volume to be cut at a specific point in the network, and the concessionaire will liaise with the plants for the shutdown.
According to Sandoval, although there is no deadline, the plan must be completed as quickly as possible. He emphasized that the current situation is critical due to the high incidence of wind and solar resources, and that the problem cannot remain unresolved until the next wind harvest season, which runs from June to September.
He assured that the main priority is to keep the interconnected system functioning and that regulatory changes will be made after extensive debate with agents and public discussion.
Barbara Rubim, vice president of ABSOLAR, reinforced to the Canal Solar supports Feitosa's position, remembering that there is no legal provision for cuts in MMGD, nor in the rules or contracts signed by users.
"There are other measures that can be taken by the agency and especially by the government to bring more security and reliability to the system that do not involve cutting off the more than 3 million Brazilians who chose to make investments to generate their own energy and who, above all, made these investments with the confidence of using the grid and the possibility of compensating any surplus deposited without any type of discount or cut," argues the executive.
She further emphasized that any measure that penalizes self-generation would be a huge affront to the country's legal security and to the National Congress's decision to approve Law 14.300 in 2022.
Carlos Evangelista, executive president of ABGD, also emphasized the need to preserve DG's assets and consumer confidence. He argued that the solution to the challenges of power outages does not involve penalizing distributed generation, but rather "modernizing the grid, planning the inclusion of large centralized generation blocks, and encouraging battery storage."
"The emergency measure announced by the agency cannot, under any circumstances, weaken contracts, compromise projected consumer revenues, or create instability in segments that have contributed decisively to the expansion of the Brazilian electricity matrix," he noted.
Evangelista concluded that emergency measures must respect the principles of “transparency, regulatory predictability, and equality among agents.”
For the president of the National Free Solar Movement, Hewerton Martins, the signaling of ANEEL The decision to exclude micro and mini-distributed generation from the cuts was received positively. According to him, the measure is coherent, "since there is no legal provision authorizing this type of intervention."
Martins adds, however, that the coalition of 21 State Distributed Generation Fronts, aligned with the National Free Solar Movement, remains vigilant both in relation to the agency's actions and the debate on MP 1.304.
"We are prepared to mobilize if consumer rights—guaranteed by Law 14.300, approved by the National Congress—are violated. We cannot allow small rural producers, businesses, and the entire employment chain of small solar installation companies to be harmed. This sector has currently been the only source of relief for millions of Brazilians facing some of the highest electricity bills in the world," the president emphasized.
Heber Galarce, president of INEL, highlighted that “the position of ANEEL on curtailment must be in full compliance with Law 14.300, which is the basis of the Legal Framework for Distributed Generation.”
"Ensuring that its principles are respected is essential to maintaining legal certainty, investment predictability, and the expansion of clean energy in Brazil. INEL will continue to work to ensure that the legislation is fully enforced and that consumer-generators have their rights preserved," he added.
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