Brazil's power grid ends emergency excess plan as balloon incidents cause outages

The National Electric System Operator (ONS) closed its Emergency Management Plan for excess generation on Sunday, 7 April. The plan, authorized by the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel), required distributors to curtail up to 1,000 MW between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to prevent imbalances in the National Interconnected System during the Corpus Christi holiday weekend. Distributors executed cuts on Type III plants and ONS coordinated real‑time actions, pledging a technical review of the plan’s impacts.

Meanwhile, state utility Copel recorded 16 power interruptions from balloons between January and May 2026 across Paraná. Fifteen incidents affected the distribution network and one disrupted the 500 kV Bateias‑Itatiba transmission line that links the Southern and Southeast regions. Cities most impacted included Curitiba, Piraquara and Mariluz. Copel warned that balloons pose a serious safety and reliability risk and reminded the public that releasing or removing balloons from power lines is an environmental crime punishable by imprisonment.