Neoenergia Coelba hit with R$82.7 million ANEEL fine over solar connection violations
Brazil's electricity regulator ANEEL imposed a fine of R$82.7 million on the Neoenergia Coelba distribution company for irregularities in connecting micro‑ and mini‑generation solar systems. The agency identified three main infractions: an undue denial of connection requests, missed deadlines for issuing connection cost estimates, and failure to provide required information to consumers. The penalty represents 0.56 % of Coelba’s net operating revenue, and the company has ten days to appeal or pay.
State deputy Robinson Almeida condemned the concessionaire, saying the fine confirms Coelba’s recurrent disrespect toward consumers and is the only tool to bring the utility back on track. Coelba linked the issues to a surge in connection requests following the 2022 legal framework for distributed generation, which it says strained its operational capacity.
The fine is the largest ever levied by ANEEL in the distributed‑generation sector, underscoring regulatory scrutiny of Brazil’s rapidly expanding solar market.
Entities: Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica · Brazil · Neoenergia Coelba · Robinson Almeida
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The fine equals 0.56 % of Coelba’s net operating revenue. (ANEEL)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Coelba has ten days to appeal the fine or pay it. (ANEEL announcement)
- [● 2 SOURCES] ANEEL fined Neoenergia Coelba R$82.7 million for irregularities in micro and mini distributed generation connections. (ANEEL)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Robinson Almeida said the fine is the only way to put Coelba on track. (Robinson Almeida)