Following the unified federal-state-municipal push for Enel concession review after December blackouts—as reported earlier—experts argue selling the distributor is simpler than unprecedented caducidade, amid Minister Silveira's formal referral to Aneel.
Minister Alexandre Silveira, after his December 16 meeting with Governor Tarcísio de Freitas and Mayor Ricardo Nunes, announced plans to refer Enel's São Paulo concession caducidade to Aneel, formalizing it with an official letter on December 17. The request cites repeated outages, including demands for oversight from 2023-2025.
The December 10 storm—with winds up to 98 km/h for 12 hours, the worst since 1963—impacted 2.2 million properties, with 81,000 still affected a week later and 27,000 on December 17. Enel deployed 1,800 teams but faced further disruptions from gusts and 145 trees falling on networks. The company notes R$10 billion invested since 2018, a R$10.4 billion 2025-2027 plan, 1,600 new hires, and 630,000 tree trims in 2024-2025.
Experts, including PSR's Angela Gomes, highlight caducidade challenges: Enel meets quality/financial indicators, requiring a lengthy process (at least 12 months per ex-Aneel director Edvaldo Santana) with full defenses to avoid sector instability. Climate change exacerbates wind-related issues.
Private sector views favor sale: Enel's 2018 R$5.55 billion asset now values at R$16 billion, extendable beyond 2028. Buyers like CPFL, Neoenergia, Energisa, Equatorial (post-Goiás), and possibly Âmbar. A UBS report suggests informal agreements could facilitate auctions, incorporating subjective quality post-extreme weather.
Silveira emphasized unity for a 'rigorous regulatory process'; Enel trusts regulators and commits to resilient investments like underground lines.