Neoenergia invests in AI to mitigate El Niño impacts

Neoenergia is expanding its use of artificial intelligence to mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events, specifically the El Niño phenomenon, across its service areas in Brazil. The company utilizes medium- and long-term climate projections, feeding meteorological data into AI models to establish energy planning parameters and asset operations.

Serving approximately 17 million customers—roughly 40 million people—Neoenergia operates five energy distribution concessions: Neoenergia Coelba (Bahia), Neoenergia Pernambuco, Neoenergia Cosern (Rio Grande do Norte), Neoenergia Brasília, and Neoenergia Elektro (São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul).

This year, the company has invested approximately R$ 30 million in AI for developing new solutions and implementing embedded AI platforms. Current applications include analyzing thermal images and operational variables to predict power grid failures, allowing for predictive maintenance. Additionally, the company has digitized 80% of its high- and medium-voltage networks to improve efficiency during weather-related incidents.