Goiás power grid faces rising agricultural demand and kite outages

Energy consumption for irrigated agriculture in Goiás has risen 11 % over the past three years, driven by the operation of 5,486 central pivots. The municipality of Cristalina, in the Federal District’s hinterland, leads with more than 74 000 ha under irrigation, producing coffee, soy, corn, sorghum, oats and dairy cattle. Farmers say water and electricity are essential; “Without electricity you do nothing,” said Luiz Carlos Figueiredo, president of the state irrigators’ association.

Equatorial Goiás, the state concessionaire, has invested more than R$ 7.1 bn in modernising the grid, adding new feeders, expanding sub‑station capacity and reinforcing distribution lines to support the growing load. New projects include the Savana sub‑station and three additional feeders slated for 2026.

At the same time, the company reported that kite‑flying during school holidays has caused power outages affecting over 70 000 customers in the first half of 2026. Four metropolitan cities—Goiânia, Aparecida de Goiânia, Senador Canedo and Trindade—account for about 55 % of the incidents. Each event typically knocks out 150–250 customers, with some cases reaching nearly 5 000. Equatorial Goiás urges residents to fly kites only in open areas away from power lines.

Both the surge in agricultural electricity demand and the kite‑related faults are straining the state’s power infrastructure, prompting further investment and public safety campaigns.