A solar energy hotbed? Brazil experiences contradictions between rhetoric and reality

On June 4th of this year, during the official inauguration of the Arinos (MG) solar plant — one of the largest renewable energy projects in the country —, the Vice President of the Republic and Minister of the MDIC (Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services), Geraldo Alckmin, stated that “Brazil will be a great source of solar energy”.

More than four months later, the scenario presents challenges for the sector. Between June 5th and October 22nd, nearly 8 GW of centralized solar energy were not added to the national electricity system, according to data from the ONS (National Electric System Operator). Year-to-date, cut volume exceeds 12,5 GWmed.

Such cuts in renewable generation—a practice known as curtailment—have been justified (by entities such as the ONS itself) by operational and system safety concerns. Even so, thermoelectric plants—more expensive and polluting—continue being activated to meet demand.

Earlier this month, the CMSE (Electric Sector Monitoring Committee) issued a statement saying that Brazil will need “more intense” dispatch of thermoelectric plants until December to meet “peak” times, when the energy load is at its peak.

A month earlier, in September, the ONS (National Electric System Operator) went further: it warned that the Brazil will depend even more on the use of thermoelectric plants until February 2026.

As a result, the red tariff flags (levels I and II) have remained in effect for five months to cover the cost of operating these plants, impacting the cost of Brazilian consumers' electricity bills.

Meanwhile, the battery auction, considered one of the main alternatives to increase system flexibility and reduce curtailment and the risk of blackouts, has not yet been held.

Debate on GD and its performance ANEEL

In recent days, the topic has also reached DG (distributed generation). The general director of ANEEL, Sandoval Feitosa, validated the ONS's understanding that authorizes distributors to cut not only load, but also the generation of DG systems in risk situations.

ANEEL publishes official letter: consumers with DG can be included in generation cuts

The decision generated a strong reaction from sector entities, such as ABSOLAR (Brazilian Association of Photovoltaic Solar Energy), which highlighted legal uncertainty and a lack of regulatory support for this type of measure.

In the Chamber of Deputies, parliamentarians approved a request summoning the Agency's director-general to provide clarifications about the case.

Sandoval's decision was also questioned by directors of the company itself. ANEEL, like Agnes Costa, who defended a more cautious and in-depth analysis of the legal aspects before any final decision on the matter.

Between goals and contradictions

With COP30 (30th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change) scheduled for November 2025, in Belém (PA), Brazil seeks to consolidate its image as a leader in clean energy.

However, the growing increase in curtailment, the continued existence of thermal power plants, and the delay in adopting storage solutions reveal the challenges the country still faces in aligning discourse with practice in the energy transition.

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