Enel held responsible for São Paulo power outage

The São Paulo Court has recognized service failures by Enel Distribuição São Paulo during a massive power outage caused by an extratropical cyclone on December 9 and 10, 2025. The event affected more than 2 million consumers.

In response to a civil public action filed by the São Paulo State Public Prosecutor's Office (MPSP), the court rejected Enel's argument that the climatic phenomenon alone excused its responsibility. The MPSP argued that while the cyclone triggered the interruptions, the extent of the damage and the delay in restoring service were exacerbated by operational failures. These included concentrating repair teams only during business hours, reducing staff at night, insufficient use of large vehicles, and inadequate vegetation control near power lines.

Data from Aneel recorded 6,715 service interruptions on December 10, with 46% of these taking more than 24 hours to resolve. Some consumers remained without power for up to six days. The court concluded that the company must maintain adequate infrastructure and operational capacity to mitigate risks inherent to its service, regardless of weather events.