Brazil energy leaders debate battery storage cost legislation

Leaders in the Brazilian electricity sector are debating a proposal by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) regarding the distribution of battery storage costs. The proposal suggests spreading these expenses among all generators within the Electric Energy Commercialization Chamber (CCEE), including wind, solar, hydroelectric, and thermoelectric plants, with costs varying based on each plant's flexibility.

Industry representatives from Absae and Abraget argue that the underlying legislation, Law 15.269, is based on a flawed premise. They contend that the law incorrectly mandates that battery storage costs be borne exclusively by generators, unlike other technologies used for capacity reserves. Additionally, critics have challenged Aneel's technical definition of flexibility, arguing it creates paradoxes in how different energy sources are categorized and charged.